The Showbox is a concert venue at 1426 1st Avenue in downtown Seattle, tucked beside the Pike Place Market. It opened on July 24, 1939, as a dine-and-dance hall built by tavern and theater operator Michael Lyons, and it has cycled through several identities since, including stints as a ballroom, a comedy club, and even a furniture store, before returning to its roots as a live music venue.
Over more than eight decades, the Showbox’s stage has carried jazz-age headliners like Duke Ellington and Muddy Waters, punk acts like the Ramones, and the grunge bands that put Seattle on the global music map, including Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Mudhoney. In 2018, a proposed 44-story tower threatened to replace the building, sparking the community-driven #SavetheShowbox campaign that ultimately led the city to designate it an official landmark in 2019.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: 1426 1st Avenue, Seattle, Washington
- Type: Live music venue
- Opened: July 24, 1939
- Capacity: About 1,150
- Owner: AEG Presents (since 2007)
- Famous for: Grunge-era shows by Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Mudhoney
- Landmark status: Designated Seattle city landmark in 2019
From Dance Hall to Grunge Landmark
The Showbox first opened its doors as Seattle’s grandest dine-and-dance rendezvous, with dancing starting each day at noon. It closed in 1948 and was reborn under a string of different names and uses over the following decades, including the Showbox Ballroom, a venue called The Gathering, and a period as a Talmud Torah before returning to live music as Showbox in 1979.
By the 1980s and 1990s, the club had become a proving ground for Seattle’s emerging rock scene, hosting homegrown acts like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, TAD, and Screaming Trees alongside touring names such as Coldplay, Lady Gaga, and Lorde in later years.
The Fight to Save the Showbox
In 2018, a developer proposed a 44-story residential tower on the Showbox site, threatening to end the venue’s run entirely. The announcement triggered the #SavetheShowbox campaign, and the Seattle City Council responded by temporarily folding the property into the adjacent Pike Place Market Historical District.
The Landmarks Preservation Board followed up by unanimously voting in July 2019 to designate both the interior and exterior of the Showbox as an official city landmark, citing its role in the community’s cultural heritage and its distinctive architectural character.
Explore more: Explore more legendary music venues.
The Showbox FAQs
When did the Showbox in Seattle open?
The Showbox opened on July 24, 1939, as a dine-and-dance hall near Pike Place Market.
Is the Showbox a protected landmark?
Yes. The Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board unanimously designated the Showbox’s interior and exterior as a city landmark in July 2019 after a developer proposed demolishing it for a high-rise tower.
What is the capacity of the Showbox?
The Showbox holds about 1,150 people.
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Photo: Joe Mabel / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.