Safety is 'priority' at Seattle's Capitol Hill Block Party after 2024 overcrowding complaints
Capitol Hill Block Party safety preparations
The 27th annual Capitol Hill Block Party is this Saturday. Fox 13 reporter Franque Thompson has more on the safety measures being implemented after last years' overcrowding.
SEATTLE - Thousands of music and art fans will flock to Seattle for one of the biggest parties of the summer this weekend. Saturday, July 19, kicks off the 27th annual Capitol Hill Block Party.
On Thursday, crews began unloading fences, road closure signs and equipment for the two-day event, hosted by Daydream State. The festival will feature 45 performers across more than seven stages, with three of them stationed outdoors.
"As a pillar of Seattle's thriving creative landscape, Capitol Hill Block Party continues to highlight the lasting vibrancy of music, art and expression that defines the city's cultural heartbeat," said Evan Johnson, senior vice president of Daydream State. "We’re thrilled to continue our tradition of bringing together diverse communities to celebrate talent and discovery."
While fans are paying to see some of their favorite stars, they also hope to get their money’s worth on safety. After the shows in 2024, festival-goers flooded social media with concerns about overcrowding. Most of those "crowd crush" complaints were made as comments on the Capitol Hill Block Party’s Instagram page.
Crowd crush is when a body of people becomes dangerously overcrowded, usually leading to people getting pushed or pressed up against each other. One example is Travis Scott's November 2021 Astroworld Festival in Texas, where a major crowd crush claimed the lives of 10 people, including a Western Washington University student.
At last year’s annual block party, Seattle attendees reported poor crowd control and no access to exits. Several people claimed they witnessed medics struggling to get through the congestion to provide medical attention for those who collapsed in the crowd.
The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) reported in 2024 that there were two EMT’s staffed for the event, but an extra crew was called in to help. Last year, SFD said at least 73 people were treated or evaluated on site that weekend.
What's Changed:
Daydream State made changes for 2025. Organizers said for the first time ever, the block party will be 21+ in an effort to optimize the festival layout.
Daydream State said its team has been working "well in advance" with SFD and Seattle Police Department on their crowd management plan.
Daydream State wrote in a statement, "The safety of our guests, artists, and staff is our number one priority. Over the years we’ve also adjusted the main stage perimeter barriers from tall fences to barricades to make it easier to escort guests out of the crowd. We also continually adjust the festival footprint to improve the flow of foot traffic. In addition to numerous volunteers distributed throughout the festival to watch out for those in need of help, staff monitors the crowd from various vantage points to identify guests in need of assistance in real-time."
SFD said Daydream State is responsible for keeping track of how many people attend "per the approved occupancy load limit." SFD explained it will be conducting on-site inspections for the set-up, plus unannounced inspections during the event. This is to ensure the block party is compliant with permit conditions established by the City of Seattle Special Events Office with input from the SFD Fire Prevention Division.
"These conditions include review of planned emergency egress routes, required fire extinguishers, fire lane requirements, maximum occupancy loads, etc." said Kristin Hanson, public information manager for SFD.
Ticket information, festival map, and further details are available on the Capitol Hill Block Party website.
The Source: Information in this story came from Daydream State, the Seattle Fire Department and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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