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Father John Misty performing at Waterfront Park in 2017.

Credit: Catalina Gaitan

Music Festivals in and Near Portland

From blues and jazz to folk and indie pop, the Rose City has plenty to offer any music lover.

Tuck Woodstock

Tuck Woodstock wrote and edited content for Travel Portland from 2014–2020. Read More

Looking for a tuneful way to enjoy your time in Portland? Get your tickets now for these exciting annual celebrations, and browse our events calendar for additional concerts and performances all year round.

Winter & Spring

Chamber Music Northwest Winter Festival – January

Portland’s premier chamber music organization kicks off the year with a week of performances by some of the world’s best classical ensembles at the annual Chamber Music Northwest‘s Winter Festival at Reed College.

Portland Old-Time Music Gathering – January

A dedicated group of volunteers show their love for traditional Appalachian-style string music with the annual Portland Old-Time Music Gathering. This grassroots festival returns to the Tiffany Center every Martin Luther King Jr. Day Weekend.

Portland Music Month – January

January is Portland Music Month (as officially proclaimed by the City of Portland). To celebrate, MusicPortland has curated 31 days of performances at 12 local venues featuring over 100 music acts.

Biamp Portland Jazz Festival – February

Celebrate Black History Month with the annual Biamp Portland Jazz Festival, hosting dozens of concerts (including several free events) by internationally recognized jazz masters and talented local musicians alike.

Summer

Chamber Music Northwest Summer Festival – June

The big sister of CMNW’s winter festival, the Chamber Music Northwest Summer Festival is a five-week concert series filling venues across the city with Grammy-winning quartets, world-class pianists, open rehearsals and opportunities to meet composers over a cup of coffee.

Waterfront Blues Festival – July

Every Fourth of July weekend since 1987, downtown Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park plays host to the Waterfront Blues Festival, the country’s second-largest blues festival, featuring midnight blues cruises and headliners like Mavis Staples, Robert Plant and Steve Miller Band.

Cathedral Park Jazz Fest – July

The largest and oldest free jazz festival west of the Mississippi River, the annual Cathedral Park Jazz Festival fills Cathedral Park with three days of world-class jazz, soul, blues and R&B acts beneath the St. Johns Bridge — no admission required.

Harefest – July

Billed as the Northwest’s most nostalgic music festival, the adults-only Harefest music festival in nearby Canby features performances by the region’s best tribute bands. Visitors can expect imitations of Metallica, Heart, Journey and Bon Jovi, to name a few.

Pickathon Music Festival – August

Travel half an hour southeast of Portland to pastoral Pendarvis Farm for three days of independent music and zero-waste camping at Pickathon music festival, led by folk and indie headliners like Andrew Bird, Beach House and Jeff Tweedy.

The William Byrd Festival – August

Founded in 1998, The William Byrd Festival explores the life and work of beloved early English composer William Byrd with a series of concerts, lectures and liturgical services.

Montavilla Jazz Festival – August

Head to the Montavilla neighborhood in Southeast Portland to enjoy the Montavilla Jazz Festival, a weekend of original progressive jazz works composed and performed by skilled Portlanders.

Further Afield

Oregon Country Fair – July

Travel two hours south of Portland to verdant Ventura to join Oregon Country Fair, the state’s preeminent counter-cultural celebration, packed with 45,000 attendees, nearly 1,000 booths and dozens of dance, music and circus performances.

Oregon Jamboree – August

Catch concerts by the likes of Carrie Underwood, Toby Keith and Tim McGraw at the Pacific Northwest’s premier country music festival, Oregon Jamboree, staged in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains 100 miles (161 km) south of Portland.

Niche Live Music Venues in Portland

These hidden gems are havens for jazz, punk, bluegrass, funk and more.

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More Music

Discover Portland's music scene at these upcoming events.

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Annual Music Events

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Portland’s Waterfront Blues Festival

Every Fourth of July weekend, the Waterfront Blues Festival takes over downtown Portland’s Waterfront Park.

Biamp Portland Jazz Festival

The Portland Jazz Festival returns every February with a stellar series of concerts and events celebrating Black History Month.

Pickathon Music Festival

Every August, Pickathon draws diverse musical performers to celebrate music and the outdoors at the lush Pendarvis Farm just outside of Portland.

Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn

With acts that have ranged from Phoebe Bridgers to Stevie Wonder, McMenamins Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn are an annual rite of summer and a hot ticket for cool nights.

January is Portland Music Month

January is officially Portland Music Month and MusicPortland has curated a lineup of 100+ local artists to support the music community. Get tickets to hear extraordinary live music that will light up the winters at venues all over Portland.

Chamber Music Northwest’s Summer Festival

Chamber Music Northwest’s annual summer festival combines high-caliber classical music with a laid-back atmosphere.

Summer Concert Round-Up

Portland brings the heat with a packed outdoor concert schedule that makes the most of summer's long days and warm nights.

Piano Push Play Brings Music to the People

Piano Push Play invites local artists to transform old, donated pianos into whimsical works of art which are distributed across the city.

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