Q&A with the team behind Capitol Hill Block Party
Celebrating nearly 30 years of music & community with the iconic Seattle festival
Written by: Martina Rexrode
Capitol Hill Block Party (“CHBP”) is a three-day music festival and block party that occurs annually in Seattle, Washington. Since its founding in 1997, the event has hosted a wide range of artists from genres including, but not limited to, punk, indie rock, R&B, pop, and EDM. Artists like Jack White, Sonic Youth, and Remi Wolf have graced their stages throughout the years, but this year’s lineup is one you can’t miss.
Apart from serving as your traditional music festival, CHBP also includes free events to keep you occupied in between sets. Center yourself with a yoga session after an intense half an hour of jumping around, or participate in a skate competition while your favorite artist performs in the background. Over the past 27 years, the festival has grown into a must-attend weekend for music fans from the Seattle area and beyond.
On April 22, Softside announced its fan merch partnership with Capitol Hill Block Party, inviting fans to collaborate with the festival on official merchandise designs.
Fans are able to build & submit portfolios featuring examples of past creative work, or they can create mockups with original designs for consideration. Approved fans are paid royalties with each sale.
To kick off the campaign, Softside chatted with the CHBP team about the event’s history, Seattle’s music culture, and which artists they’re excited to see this summer.
Softside: What makes Seattle the perfect place for an event like this? How would you describe the music culture in Seattle?
CHBP: Well, no one knows how to take advantage of the summer like Seattle! After enduring nine months of cold, dark, and wet, Seattle doesn’t let a single summer day go to waste, which makes CHBP that much more of a big event for the community.
Seattle’s music culture is deeply rooted but always evolving. Are we known for 90’s grunge music? Sure. But we’ve also grown to be the home to electronic artists (Odesza), rappers (Macklemore), and legendary singer-songwriters (Brandi Carlile).
Softside: What do you love about the fans that attend every year or have attended in the past?
CHBP: We love how consistently fun attendees are, no matter the year. It’s such a unique footprint for a festival in 2025; the space lends itself to make sure people have fun whether they know the artists or not.
Softside: How are artists within the local Seattle music scene connected to the history of the Capitol Hill Block Party?
CHBP: Local artists are a massive part of the fabric of the event! They make up roughly half of the entire lineup and add so much personality to what CHBP ends up being. The diversity in sound represented in our lineup never ceases to amaze us.
Softside: What are some of your favorite spots (local businesses, recreational areas, etc.) in the innermost and surrounding vicinity of Seattle?
CHBP: Catch us enjoying a bubble tea from Drip Tea, right outside our gates, and also a burrito from Poquitos!
Softside: What are some of the biggest ways the Capitol Hill Block Party has evolved over its nearly 30 years of existence?
CHBP: While the footprint has stayed generally the same over the past 25+ years, the lineup is where we see the most change and growth. We pride ourselves on staying relevant in our own ecosphere of the music scene. It’s easy to see if you look at the last decade of lineups we’ve produced.
Softside: What differentiates this event from other annual music festivals?
CHBP: It’s one of the rare festivals that still takes place in the streets of a very busy part of a city. The footprint, neighborhood, and city is what makes Capitol Hill Block Party most unique.
Softside: Which artists are you most excited about from this year’s lineup?
CHBP: It’s hard to pick favorites but a few of our most anticipated would be Zulan (watch out for this one!), Fcukers, and INJI!
Get involved with Softside x Capitol Hill Block Party’s fan-designed merchandise partnership here.
More info about the festival can be found here.
Softside is a partnerships platform dedicated to connecting music artists with their creative communities via officially licensed, fan-designed merchandise collaborations. We’re currently in beta working with music partners via invite-only.
Our blog covers fan art, album releases, merch trends, niche pop culture communities, and other topics at the intersection of music, visual art, and fandoms.
Martina Rexrode is a writer based in Delaware. With a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Delaware and a lifelong passion for music, she combines the two when she can to put her thoughts about all kinds of music down where anyone can read them.