Oregon Zoo Summer Concerts
Discover a summer of outdoor concerts at this unforgettable venue.
It’s a concert venue unlike any other: a grassy lawn, sloping down to a modestly-sized stage and bandshell, with an elephant yard on one side and a red ape reserve on the other. For the past 35 years, musicians and fans alike have flocked to the Oregon Zoo each summer to revel in music, sunshine and friends — including those of the feathered and furry varieties.
The annual Oregon Zoo Summer Concert Series, which runs June–September, boasts a roster of artists as diverse as the park’s residents, which range from African bullfrogs to Visayan warty pigs. Previous lineups have included performances by legendary rock queen Pat Benatar, Rick Springfield, Natalie Merchant, local favorite Pink Martini, and a David Bowie tribute by singer and multi-instrumentalist Seu Jorge. More performers include the likes of legend Ziggy Marley, 80’s icons the Indigo Girls and the Violent Femmes, pop darlings Belle and Sebastian, and a collaboration between blues music royalty Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’.
Shows start at 7 p.m., with access to the concert area at 5 p.m. Concert tickets also grant zoo access for the full day, so plan to visit the animals before the show. And whether you bring a picnic (no outside beverages) or enjoy the zoo’s selection of local food, beer and wine, be sure to fill up — after all, you wouldn’t want your stomach growling louder than the Amur tigers (or the bands).
Concert tickets also grant zoo access for the full day, so plan to visit the animals before the show.
2019 Zoo Concert Lineup
- June 14 – Rain: A tribute to The Beatles
- June 15 – Indigo Girls
- June 22 – Lucinda Williams (guest: Cass McCombs)
- June 27 – Jim James + The Claypool Lennon Delirium (guest: Uni)
- June 29 – Greensky Bluegrass
- July 27 – Broken Social Scene (guest: The Helio Sequence)
- July 29 – Michael McDonald & Chaka Khan (guest: Tommy Alexander)
- August 2 – John Prine (guest: Amanda Shires)
- August 6 – The B-52s, OMD, Berlin
- August 10 – George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic (guests: Fishbone, Dumpstaphunk, Miss Velvet, The Blue Wolf)
- August 11 – Steve Earle & The Dukes and Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
- August 12 – Lord Huron and Shakey Graves
- August 13 – Feist (guest: Rhye)
- August 15 – ThePianoGuys
- August 16 – Taj Mahal & Marc Cohn, featuring Blind Boys of Alabama
- August 17 – Herbie Hancock and Kamasi Washington
- August 25 – Amos Lee (guest: Madison Cunningham)
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Every August since 1999, Pickathon draws diverse musical performers to celebrate music and the outdoors at the lush Pendarvis Farm just outside of Portland.
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