Overview
Bumbershoot '94
Poster artwork and design by Frank Zepponi, Burning Bush Studio
In 1994, Bumbershoot found itself at the center of a cultural moment for Seattle.
Produced by One Reel, the festival continued its tradition of transforming Seattle Center into a sprawling Labor Day weekend celebration of music, theater, dance, film, literary arts, and visual art. By this point, Bumbershoot had firmly established itself as one of the largest and most diverse arts festivals in the country.
The mid-1990s were a particularly significant period for Seattle’s creative identity. The city’s music scene had captured global attention, and the broader arts community was thriving. Bumbershoot reflected that energy while remaining committed to its founding philosophy: presenting a wide cultural umbrella where multiple artistic disciplines could coexist.
What made the festival distinctive during this era was its ability to absorb the city's cultural momentum without narrowing its scope. Even as music drew large crowds, Bumbershoot continued to champion a wide range of creative voices, from avant-garde performers to emerging Northwest artists.
By 1994, more than two decades after Festival ’71, Bumbershoot had become a defining part of Seattle’s cultural landscape: a place where the city’s artistic energy gathered each year under one umbrella.
Bumbershoot 1994's line up included: 7 Year Bitch / A.J. Croce / Altan / Anchee Min / Avi / Ben Harper / Blak Umfolosi / Bonnie Raitt / Bruce Cockburn / Bruce Hornsby / Buddy Guy / Carrie Newcomer / Charlie Musselwhite / Chris Smither / Cowboy Mouth / Cui Jian / Danny Gatton / David Lindley & Hani Nasser / Father Guido Sarducci / Flora Purim & Airto Moreira / Jackson Browne / James T. Kirk / Jamie Foxx / Joan Baez / Joan Jett & the Blackhearts / Joe Louis Walker & the Bosstalkers / John Hiatt & the Guilty Dogs / Keb’ Mo’ / Ken Kesey’s “Twister” / Kim Wilson / Mahlathini & the Mahotella Queens / Manu Dibango / Maurice John Vaughn / Me’Shell Ndege Ocello / Paul Rodriguez / Penn & Teller / Richard Thompson / Robert Bly / Rosie Flores / Sherman Alexie / Sky Cries Mary / Slavenka Drakulic / Spirit of the West / St. Petersburg Ballet starring Galina Mezentseva / Su Tong / Sunny Day Real Estate / Tab Benoit / Terry Evans / The Mystic Revealers / The Neville Brothers / Tom Robbins / X / Zap Mama
