While many might herald Memorial Day Weekend's arrival as a great chance to have a three-day weekend getaway, the music fans among us celebrate the holiday in part because it ushers in the summer concert season. Next week, Spokane's big outdoor concert venues kick off their seasons, so there's no better time to check out the impressive show slate that summer 2025 has to offer for Inland Northwesterners.
Things kick off at BECU Live at Northern Quest Resort & Casino — the perennial winner of Best Concert Venue in our reader-voted Best Of poll — when country superstar Brad Paisley takes the stage on May 30. He's far from the only act that will bring the boots- and Stetson-wearing crowd to the casino, as the summer will also feature shows by Jon Pardi (June 20), Billy Currington & Kip Moore (July 10), Cody Jinks (July 19) and Parker McCollum (Aug. 21).
If variations on rock music are more your bag, Northern Quest has that covered as well with the one-two punk punch of Dropkick Murphys and Bad Religion (July 22), blues rocker Joe Bonamassa (Aug. 5), the southern sound of Lynyrd Skynyrd (Aug. 14), and plenty of '90s rock radio nostalgia via Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms and Spin Doctors (Aug. 23) and Goo Goo Dolls and Dashboard Confessional (Aug. 28).
The casino's slate also includes the electrifying genre-blending jazz of Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (June 15), bluegrass icon Alison Krauss & Union Station (July 27), musical parody legend bWeird Al" Yankovic (Aug. 12) and reggae sounds from Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley & Stephen Marley (Aug. 26). (Northern Quest is also extending its outdoor season past the summer with shows in September and October featuring Warren Zeiders, Train, Old Dominion, Mudvayne and Chevelle.)
Spokane's other main outdoor concert spot — Riverfront Park's recently sponsor-christened Gesa Credit Union Pavilion — kicks off just one day after Northern Quest with popular jam band Goose on May 31. The rest of the Pavilion's summer offerings include Northwest indie rock titan Death Cab for Cutie (July 30), country singer-songwriter Sam Barber (Aug. 8) and alt-rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise (Aug. 14) (plus an October show from Lord Huron).
Those two spots are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to open-air concerts with big name acts within driving distance from Spokane.
The closest of said options remains North Idaho's Festival at Sandpoint, which returns with another eclectic, loaded lineup. Highlights include a slew of alternative bands like Neon Trees (July 24), Toad the Wet Sprocket, Semisonic and Sixpence None the Richer (July 26), Third Eye Blind (July 27), and Dispatch (Aug 2). The proceedings also feature alt-country brightspot Sierra Ferrell (July 25), country duo Brothers Osborne (July 31), the classic rock sounds of Kansas (Aug. 1), and the finale with the Festival at Sandpoint Orchestra (Aug. 3).
The Central Washington marvel that is the Gorge Amphitheatre once again has a ton of enticing concert options worth the trek. The festivals come out in full force with EDM mainstays Beyond Wonderland (June 21 & 22) and Bass Canyon (Aug. 15-17), slotting in beside the always rowdy country crowd that attends Watershed (Aug. 1-3). Various shades of rock music have a strong showing this year between Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan's Outlaw Music Festival (at the Gorge on May 25; also tonight, May 22, right here at ONE Spokane Stadium), Washington legends Heart (Aug. 8), the jammers of Tedeschi Trucks Band and southern rockers of Whiskey Myers (Aug. 9), and Dave Matthews Band making its typical Labor Day Weekend trek (Aug. 29-31), with Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts sneaking in at the end (Sept. 5). The Gorge also hosts Mumford & Sons with Japanese Breakfast (July 18) and more EDM in the form of Tipper and Friends (July 4-6).
Those willing to trek to Missoula can catch the debut of Zootown Festival (July 4 & 5) featuring headliners like Hozier and Kacey Musgraves, plus an array of other shows at the KettleHouse Amphitheater.
While Spokane might not be a summer music festival hotspot, there are plenty of smaller local options. Pig Out in the Park (Aug. 28-Sept. 1) not only offers tasty food, but also dozens of free concerts spread across Riverfront Park that platform mainly local acts on a daily basis. Liberty Lake's Zephyr Lodge double dips this summer with the newly launched Zephyr Folk Festival (June 6 & 7) and the return of Allen Stone's Stone Family Field Trip (Aug. 9 & 10). Smaller community music festivals include Cannonball in Browne's Addition (July 12) and the second edition of Boomjam Music Festival (September date TBA).
The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture is teaming up with Live From Somewhere to launch the new Curators of Sound Concert Series at the museum's amphitheater with lineups packed with local favs like T.S. the Solution, Fat Lady, Snacks at Midnight, Jaeda, Kung Fu Vinyl and many more (June 18, July 16, Aug. 20).
Spokane Symphony also does its usual outdoor shows for the community during the warm weather months. The symphony's 2025 summer calendar includes stops at Arbor Crest Winery (June 18), Brick West Brewing Co. (June 26), Liberty Lake Pavilion Park (Aug. 30) and Comstock Park (Sept. 1).
The Spokane County Interstate Fair currently only has one announced show — a nostalgia tour featuring Vanilla Ice, Sir Mix-a-Lot and C+C Music Factory (Sept. 10). The North Idaho State Fair unsurprisingly goes in a more country direction with headlining concerts by Midland (Aug. 18) and Josh Turner (Aug. 19).
There is also a wide array of summer outdoor concert series to be enjoyed in the Inland Northwest. Just a sampling of these offerings include the live tunes during the Kendall Yards Night Market (Wednesdays, through Sept. 17), the Browne's Addition Concert Series at Coeur d'Alene Park (Thursdays, June 19-Aug. 7), Riverstone Park in Coeur d'Alene's Riverstone Summer Concerts (Thursdays, July 10-Aug. 28), Garden Gate's Summer Concert Series on Monroe (Tuesdays, through Sept. 23), and the Sun Time Music Series at Mead's Big Barn Brewing (Fri-Sun, May 23-Oct. 30). Three North Idaho series fall under the KOEP Concerts banner: City Park Shows at CDA City Park (Sundays, July 13-Aug. 31), Music at McEuen in downtown CDA (Wednesdays, July 9-Sept. 3) and the Hayden Summer Concert Series at McIntire Family Park (Thursdays, July 10-Aug. 21).
While it might be more fun to get outside for your tuneage during the summer, there are still plenty of great indoor gigs happening around Spokane. With too many to list, here are a handful of highlights. Star crooner Barry Manilow makes his final Spokane appearance for a show at Spokane Arena (July 11). First Interstate Center for the Arts brings some joy to the world with Three Dog Night (June 14). The lineup for Spokane Live at Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino includes everything from Air Supply (June 6) and Social Distortion (June 19) to Aaron Lewis (June 20) and Shakey Graves (Aug. 14).
The Knitting Factory brings a host of great gigs downtown, spanning the gamut from Sleep Theory (June 4) and Joseph (June 13) to Iration (July 23) and Blind Pilot x John Craigie (July 25) to Matisyahu (Aug. 28) and Dinosaur Jr. and Snail Mail (Aug. 6), just to name a few. With the Spokane Symphony playing outside, the Fox Theater hosts shows featuring top-flight singer-songwriters like Gillian Welch & David Rawlings (June 27) and Regina Spektor (July 29). The Bing Crosby theater takes a break from cover acts to host the likes of Mon Rovîa (July 5) and Macy Gray (July 18). And then there's always stuff popping off at smaller spots like The Big Dipper (MC Chris, Aug. 7), The Chameleon (Olive Klug, Aug. 12) and The District Bar (Mal Blum, Aug. 21).
Whatever your musical tastes may be, here's hoping for a summer surrounded by sound. ♦
