Tuck Woodstock
Tuck Woodstock has been writing and editing content for Travel Portland since 2014. Read More
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 has been writing and editing content for Travel Portland since 2014. Read More
Know Before You Go
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Oregon’s governor has banned all large events through the end of September 2020. For details on the events listed below, please visit their websites.
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.
Reel Music Film Festival – January
One part concert series, one part film festival, the Northwest Film Center’s annual Reel Music Film Festival pairs archival concert footage and biopics of famous musicians with live performances by a wide variety of musical artists.
Portland Jazz Festival – February
Celebrate Black History Month with the annual PDX 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.
PDX Pop Now – July
Discover some of the city’s best up-and-coming artists at the free PDX Pop Now showcase beneath the Hawthorne Bridge. In addition to food carts, a record fair and performances by dozens of local musicians, visitors can watch rounds of “Rigsketball,” a 3-on-3 basketball tournament played by 32 Portland bands.
Northwest String Summit – July
Located 25 miles (40 km) west of downtown Portland, Horning’s Hideout in North Plains hosts the annual Northwest String Summit, a gathering of bluegrass bands and acoustic pickers. It’s best to buy your tickets early, as the intimate festival is capped at 5,000 attendees.
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, this annual event 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 a weekend of original progressive jazz works composed and performed by skilled Portlanders.
Autumn
Jim Pepper Native Arts Festival – September
This free, family-friendly community concert celebrates the life of late saxophonist and composer Jim Pepper, a Portlander of Kaw/Creek heritage whose 1969 song “Witchi Tai To” is the only song based on a Native American chant to break into the Billboard pop charts.
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.
Annual Music Events
Upcoming Music Festivals
Discover Portland's music scene at these upcoming festivals.
Portland Old Time Music Gathering
The Portland Old Time Music Gathering is going all online for 2021. Since an in-person square dance isn’t possible on Wednesday, the festival will kick things off on Thursday Jan. 14 with a night of Cajun/Honky Tonk concerts and will wrap up with the Sunday Cabaret and a Moon and Sixpence type show via Zoom….
Waterfront Blues Festival
Every Fourth of July weekend, the Waterfront Blues Festival takes over downtown Portland’s Waterfront Park.
Portland Folk Festival
After taking 2021 off, the Portland Folk Festival is coming back strong in 2022 with not two, but THREE days of an all-ages celebration of Folk and American music at the historic Crystal Ballroom. Visit the event website for the latest lineup!
Was this page helpful?