Capitol Hill Block Party 2025: Two Days, No Fence, All Vibes
DAY 1: SEATTLES LONG AWAITED RESET
Capitol Hill Block Party’s first fully 21+ weekend felt like a long-overdue breath of fresh air. Gone were the endless ID checks and fenced-off beer pens replaced with open streets, free-flowing drinks, and a whole new kind of festival ease. With Capitol Hill’s core bars naturally lining the two-block stretch, ID checks moved to the entrance and the streets turned into one giant, unbothered block party. Foot traffic flowed, drinks stayed in hand, and the good vibes stretched from one end of Pike to the other.
We hit the Main Stage first for Jordan Ward, who delivered one of the weekend’s most effortlessly polished sets. The crowd knew every word to “Zoomies,” “Jealousy,” and the always-dance-worthy “FAMJAM4000.” Ward’s stage presence is smooth, confident he knows how to ride a groove and let the crowd feel it, too.
Next up: Lexa Gates on the Daydream Stage. She looked (and sounded) like the coolest person in the city with raw, real vocals paired with a quietly commanding presence. “Rotten to the Core” hit different live: emotionally charged, brutally honest, and somehow still a vibe. You could feel the crowd lock in with her. It was her first festival appearance, and when she thanked Seattle before ending early, there was this shared sense of we were here for it.
Back at the Main Stage, The Dare came out swinging. Known for his NYC nightlife edge and collabs with Charli XCX, he gave us one of the most high-energy sets of the night. From stage-diving to mic-stand acrobatics, it was chaos in the best way. He had the crowd on a string and made it look effortless.
Then came DJ PeeWee, aka Anderson .Paak, who turned the entire block into a dance floor. Mixing his own tracks with crowd-pleasers, cracking jokes, freestyling, even jumping behind the drum kit he reminded everyone why he’s one of the most versatile artists out. His trumpet player, Maurice Brown, nearly stole the show with a blazing solo. That tag-team moment Paak on drums, Brown on horns was easily one of the weekend’s top-tier highlights.
As the night closed, it was a split decision: ZULAN or Thundercat. We hit ZULAN first, who brought a full party to the Daydream Stage, friends, crew, and what seemed like half the city all dancing behind her. Her setlist was pure dancefloor gold, and the energy never dipped. Meanwhile, Thundercat delivered his signature space-funk jazz on the Main Stage, with buttery basslines and a locked-in trio. By the time “Interstellar Love” hit, the crowd was floating.
Day 2: Hyperpop Mayhem & Basement-Party Energy
Sunday brought sunshine and a lineup leaning hyperpop, headlined by Porter Robinson. The Sprite truck (formerly Coca-Cola) was still bumping now promoting Sprite + Tea and the outfits? Even more chaotic and creative than the music. Easily one of the best-dressed festivals Seattle sees all year.
First up: Snowstrippers. They tore up the stage with reckless joy, dancing everywhere and keeping the crowd hyped from the jump. Alemeda followed with a soulful, shapeshifting set. “I Already Dug Your Grave” and “I Hate Your Face” pulled the crowd into their feelings, but “Chameleon” and “Gonna Bleach My Eyebrows” brought them right back out.
Hana Vu kept the energy flowing with moody indie-pop that still managed to groove. It was a seamless transition, and the vibes stayed high.
Seattle favorite Yaeji sadly had to cancel last-minute due to travel issues, but “GOOD TIME GIRL” INJI stepped in on the Main Stage and ran with it. I only caught the tail end of her set, but it was glorious chaos. She hopped into the crowd offering vodka shots like she was hosting a basement party. And yes thanks to the 21+ setup it was totally fine. (lol)
With a break before 100 Gecs, I wandered to snap portraits of some of the best-dressed folks around. CHBP might not get enough credit for it, but the fashion? It’s everything. Experimental, expressive, loud but still so Seattle.
Then the Main Stage flipped a switch: 100 Gecs arrived and the crowd exploded. Mosh pits, crowd-surfing, complete hyperpop mayhem. “Billy Knows Jamie” and “I Got My Tooth Removed” had the entire block vibrating. It was punk, it was pop, it was a glitchy fever dream and we were in it.
Final Thoughts:
This year’s two-day, 21+ experiment? Honestly, it worked. The crowd may have been smaller than last year’s Chappell Roan-fueled frenzy, but the vibe was better. It was safer. It was spacious. And above all, it was fun.
There was room to breathe, to dance, to roam. No more elbowing through fenced-off beer gardens or fighting your way to a stage. Just music, movement, and pure block party energy.
The big question now: stick with the tighter 2-day 21+ format, or bring back the three-day, all-ages version? Either way, this year proved something big: CHBP still knows how to reinvent itself, and still throws one of the best parties of the summer.