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Seattle's Volunteer Park Amphitheater opens July 2, kicks off summer of music and dance

An illustration of a stage with trees behind it. An audience sits on blankets and chairs on the lawn in front of the stage.
Volunteer Park Trust
An artist's rendering of the new Volunteer Park Amphitheater.

The newly-designed amphitheater at Volunteer Park opens with free community events next month, including KNKX's Picnic in the Park on July 14.

In partnership with the Seattle Park District, the Volunteer Park Trust is preparing to celebrate the reopening of the Volunteer Park amphitheater in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood.

The project is the culmination of seven years of planning, community outreach, design work, and fundraising. The new amphitheater, located on the west side of the park by the reservoir, replaces a failing concrete-and-brick stage built in 1971.

Volunteer Park Amphitheater Groundbreaking

The tradition of holding performances in the park goes back to 1915. In recent years, Volunteer Park Trust and its partners identified a need for a modern structure that was more versatile, ADA compliant and could be maintained for years to come. The resulting design, by ORA architects, meets these requirements and also has a custom stage floor to support professional dance performances.

After a few delays, including the Seattle concrete workers strike, the new facility's grand opening event will take place on July 2, featuring music and keynote speakers from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

On July 14, the Summer Series at the Amphitheater kicks off with Picnic in the Park, a KNKX-supported event featuring the group Duende Libre, pianist Marina Albero, and pianist Marc Seales. More information and free tickets availablehere.

KNKX will also present Latin jazz at the Amphitheater on August 4 with performances by guitarists Raul Midon and Alex Cuba, and pianist Jovino Santos Neto.

Explore the entire 2022 Summer Series at the Volunteer Park Amphitheater here.

Originally from Detroit, Robin Lloyd has been presenting jazz, blues and Latin jazz on public radio for nearly 40 years. She's a member of the Jazz Education Network and the Jazz Journalists Association.