The Good, the Bad, and the Bottlenecks
In the second year since the festival made the move to 21+ only, we continued to enjoy the benefit of the noticeably more relaxed crowd, plus we never felt trapped in “beer jail,” which meant being able to walk around the festival with a drink in hand without any frantic chugging moments to make it to the next set.
The main stage was packed as usual, especially up front. Getting in and out near the rail felt like trying to escape a can of sardines. Plus, the sound up front was way too loud for our liking. If you wanted to dance freely with the homies, the back of the crowd was where it was at – enough room to move and enough sound to feel the music.
The biggest crowding issue was around the Daydream stage. The area became a bottleneck whenever a bigger artist was on stage, making it hard to move through the street. Solutions may include putting smaller acts on that stage, moving the VIP bar section, adding more stages overall, or even pushing the Daydream stage farther back down the street, if possible.
One huge difference this year was the removal of the Cha Cha, WildRose, and Vermillion Stages from the lineup. (Cha Cha had be turned into a Latin Dance Party as of 2025, but the few times we popped down there, it was sadly empty.) We’re hoping this isn’t a sign that CHBP is struggling; it definitely left a gap in the usual festival business vibe.
Logistically – both the bar and bathroom lines moved surprisingly quickly, so even when things looked busy, we never felt like we were wasting our night waiting. And yes, the drink prices were high, but we liked the multiple options, and the fun artist and song-themed cocktails made the overpriced drinks feel a little more worth it.
Safety in Seattle
With the festival falling just two weeks after the Bite of Seattle shooting and a couple recent late-night shootings in Capitol Hill itself, safety was on our mind heading into the weekend.
We found noticeable police presence both outside and around the festival grounds, and getting through security included walking through metal detectors and thorough bag checks. The added security didn’t slow the entry process, and we felt comfortable and safe inside the festival grounds.
Music by Day
Friday: The Day of the N’s
Nimino
Nimino drew out dedicated fans who were more than willing to brave the midday sun to hear their favorite songs. The set featured all the fan-favorite tracks people clearly came to hear, as the crowd sang along in the sunshine. He wrapped things up with a fun, dance-heavy remix that set the “let’s party!” tone for the rest of our night.
Ninajirachi
Ninajirachi was another set where the dedication of the fanbase was obvious. The crowd showed up ready to represent, with plenty of die-hards dressed the part and singing along. Her stage presence and euphoric energy made everyone want to laugh and jump along right with her.
Saturday: It’s a House Party! And everyone’s invited!
Jigitz
Jigitz was easily my most anticipated set of the weekend, and he delivered. Armed with dancing ballerinas and all the singalongs, we had such a blast at this set, but we unfortunately had to sacrifice much of own dancing for shade. We found ourselves wishing he’d been later so we could’ve danced harder.
Disco Lines
This was our third time seeing Disco Lines, and my favorite yet. He came back with something to prove after a health hiatus this summer, and he absolutely came back with a bang. There was a solid mix of house, bass, and trap, along with remixes and Disco Lines originals. And unlike some of the more packed areas of the festival, there was enough room toward the back of the crowd to actually dance through the end of night, even during the headline set.
Sunday: The final stretch… and dance!
Haute and Freddy
Day 3 of CHBP started off strong with a high-energy presentation by Haute and Freddy from LA. Their synth-pop beats got the crown dancing and the energy brewing in the early afternoon sun. It was a great way to kick off the last day as our energy was dwindling.
Babymorocco
We next wandered over to Daydream Stage to see London artist Babymorocco, whose eclectic “electropop” music blends a range of wild sounds with personal flare. His cheeky performance, witty banter and evocative performance engaged and hyped the crowd.
Zach Fox
Zach Fox was one of the few hip-hop artists on the weekend, so this was a show we weren’t going to miss. This Atlanta native kept the Main Stage hot and bumpin’, spinning his unique style of “comedy rap.” This weekend his sound was more on the side of heavy bass and club bounce beats, and the crowd was here for it.
Parcels
Parcels, in from Berlin, was an absolute dance party, and an amazing energy to dance us into dusk. Playing hits like Tieduprightnow and Overnight,” all bodies were busting a move to their disco-electeo-pop fusion beats. It was a highlight on the weekend and a needed energy spike to get us through the last few hours of CHBP.
Overall we did, as we always do, have a blast at the 2026 Capitol Hill Block Party. It’s an amazing experience to be packed into a few square blocks of your hometown with your neighbors and adventurous out-of-towners, partying in the streets and dancing in the sun. We’ll continue to keep this one on the calendar, and look forward to what they have in store next year.
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