The Decibel Festival was an annual music and digital arts festival in Seattle, Washington, which featured live electronic music performances, visual arts, and new media.

History

The festival was launched in 2003 by Sean Horton and a team of volunteer staff. The festival consisted of concerts, performances, film screenings, exhibitions, panels, lectures, workshops, and commissioned works across locations throughout Seattle, including the Capitol Hill neighborhood and Downtown Seattle. Audiences grew from 2,500 to 25,000 over the festival's 12 years. Following years of unsuccessful efforts to become a non-profit organization, and Horton's move to LA to work for Red Bull, The Decibel Festival ended in 2015. The founder described this as an "extended break." Since 2015, Decibel has continued to host and promote smaller events, describing itself as "a Los Angeles-based event/production company." These events are chronicled on the organization's social media. Decibel organized a weekend of events in 2023 to celebrate 20-years of Decibel. The event title was stylized as DecibelXX.

Artists

The Decibel Festival hosted over 1,100 acts, ranging from underground dance and experimental electronic music to transmedial art. Selected festival lineups: Performers included:

Venues

Throughout its duration, The Decibel Festival was hosted at various venues across the Seattle area, including The Showbox, The Showbox SoDo, Q Nightclub, Neumos, The Crocodile, Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall, The Triple Door, Islander Cruise Ship, EMP Museum, and Re-Bar. The Decibel Festival was a member of ICAS (International Cities of Advanced Sound).