SPOKANE, Wash. — After three years of planning, the Blessing in Disguise Music Festival will transform Downtown Spokane into a multi-stage concert venue Saturday, bringing 20 musical artists to the Inland Northwest and marking the region’s first large-scale music festival of its kind.
The festival will feature Washington native Macklemore and pop band AJR among its headliners, drawing thousands of fans to downtown Spokane. Festival organizers estimate the event will generate approximately $2 million in economic impact for the local community.
Crews have spent the week preparing the festival grounds, setting up stages, merchandise tents, and infrastructure to accommodate the expected crowds. The main stage at One Spokane Stadium serves as one of four stages planned for the festival.
“The marketing teams running around, getting signage ready, getting everything ready for just the entire layout. Operationally, like, obviously the team’s been working, just not just in the stadium, but then also converting the podium over for the staging and everything going on in there,” said Matt Meyer, director of entertainment for the Spokane Public Facilities District.
The festival’s four stages will each host different musical genres and artists. The main stage at One Spokane Stadium will feature major acts, while a smaller stage dedicated to local artists will also operate at the stadium. The rock stage at the podium will host artists including Everclear and Hippie Sabotage. The Allen Stone Stage, named after festival ambassador Allen Stone, is being set up on Joe Albi Way.
Meyer advised festival attendees to plan ahead for the event. “Just be ready. I’d plan, look at the schedule, figure out who you really want to go see, when you want to take your breaks to be able to get food. Definitely stay hydrated,” Meyer said.
Local businesses are also preparing for the influx of visitors. Kasa Taphouse, located next to the festival grounds, is gearing up to serve the crowds expected downtown.
“It’s the first year, so we are going to figure out what works and figure out what doesn’t work. But we do know there’s going to be a lot of people downtown. We’re ready for it. We’re excited to serve a lot of cold beer, excited to serve a lot of good food,” said Juli Norris, owner of Kasa Taphouse.
Gates open at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. General admission tickets remain available for the festival. Musical artists are expected to arrive in Spokane Friday evening ahead of the festival’s opening.
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