Khruangbin playing at the 2019 THING Festival...simpler times...
Khruangbin playing at the 2019 THING Festival...simpler times... Christine Mitchell/THING Festival

After a successful 2019 edition and a two year-hiatus thanks to coronavirus, THING Festival will be back at Fort Worden in Port Townsend from August 26-28, 2022.

If you'll remember, the festival's name comes from the medieval term "Ting," which was "an assembly of free people to reduce feuds and avoid social disorder." This feels eerily resonant given the times we find ourselves in! But it also speaks to the wide range of activities provided: music, comedy, food, post-apocalyptic game shows, visual art, live podcasts, etc.

THING comes to us from the brains of the nonprofit Seattle Theatre Group (STG) and producer Adam Zacks, who also happens to be the founder of Sasquatch! (R.I.P.) as well as chief programming officer at STG. And the lineup is pretty sick. The headliners include angsty Sub Pop crooner Father John Misty, the Issaquah-formed Modest Mouse, and UK band Jungle. The bench is also stacked with Atlanta sensation Faye Webster, modern rock star Yves Tumor, London post punks Dry Cleaning, KEXP-fave L'Rain, Tuareg guitars Mdou Moctar, as well as local acts like Enumclaw, Shaina Shepherd, Jarv Dee, and Terror/Cactus. Oh yeah and how could I forget Triumph the Insult Comic Dog or The Future Is 0 (a game show I WON!)!!

“It continues to be an honor to present a slate of extraordinary talent, rich with new discoveries, in the magnificent setting of Fort Worden,” Zacks said in the press release. “We aspire to offer something fresh to the festival landscape and create an environment where all are welcomed and represented.”

Heres the lineup in poster form.
Here's the lineup in poster form. Thing Festival

There will be two outdoor mainstages this year, Littlefield Green and the Parade Grounds. McCurdy Pavilion, a decommissioned balloon hangar with a 1,200 capacity, and the art deco Wheeler Theatre will serve as the two indoor performance spaces in addition to other secondary sites used for workshops and visual art installations.

The event is all-ages (parents, kids 12 and under are free)—so, under 21s, this is a great time to see acts that hardly play all-ages spaces!!! But for the over 21s, don't worry, there will be beer gardens. THING will also offer ASL interpretation services, special viewing areas, modified interactive sections, and sensory break areas led by Sensory Access to make the event more accessible to all. And like the 2019 edition, there will also be camping, parking, and housing accommodation offers available for purchase in addition to single-day passes.

Tickets will go on sale on Friday, February 25 at 10 am PST on THING's website, STG Presents, and Ticketmaster. More acts and events will definitely be added in the lead-up. In the meantime, here's the full lineup:

JUNGLE • MODEST MOUSE • FATHER JOHN MISTY • GOOSE • SPARKS • FREDDIE GIBBS • JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ • TRIUMPH THE INSULT COMIC DOG • DURAND JONES & THE INDICATIONS • ADRIAN YOUNGE AND ALI SHAHEED MUHAMMAD PRESENT JAZZ IS DEAD FEATURING BRIAN JACKSON, DOUG CARN AND HENRY FRANKLIN WITH KATALYST • CURTIS HARDING • FAYE WEBSTER • PLEASE DON’T DESTROY • WET LEG • HIATUS KAIYOTE • ARCHITECTS OF AIR’S LUMINARIUM • YVES TUMOR • HELADO NEGRO • DRY CLEANING • LIDO PIMIENTA • MDOU MOCTAR • NATION OF LANGUAGE • DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO • THE FUTURE IS 0 • SPELLLING • AROOJ AFTAB • L’RAIN • JARV DEE • TERROR/CACTUS • ENUMCLAW • SHAINA SHEPHERD • JON BRYANT • HAILEY BLAIS • TEON GIBBS • MORE MUSIC @ THE MOORE • DANCE THIS • RE:DEFINITION • ELEVATE • DANCE WITH LIFE • THE PEOPLE’S THEATRE TALK • PNW FUTURE OF HIP HOP SPOTLIGHT • STG’S TEACHING ARTISTS + WORKSHOPS • & MORE!