Seattle – Boulderfest 2026
Seattle Boulderfest, Sep 25 & 26
Seattle’s biggest community climbing competition returns to Bouldering Project! Boulderfest is an electric, all-day community celebration featuring an all-levels climbing competition, entertainment, music, food & happy hour, raffles, open finals, community connection and an all-new Grand Finale.
The climbing at Boulderfest is the absolute best of what Bouldering Project and our setting team has to offer. It’s an incredible experience to climb and to watch others climb!
Registration is now open!
Built for all of us
Whether you’ve been climbing for years or it’s your very first competition, you’ll find something fun and challenging to climb at Boulderfest.
Community Comp is our all-levels competition, with Recreational (V0–V2), Intermediate (V3–V5), and Advanced (V6–V8) divisions designed to help you challenge yourself and climb with friends.
Open Comp is for climbers looking for a more competitive experience. Divisions include Men, Women, and Non-Binary, and we recommend it for climbers who predominantly climb Blue, Pink, White, and Mint (V8+).
Score the Swag
Community Comp competitors have the chance to win incredible prizes from our sponsors and local brands. Every boulder you top earns you one raffle ticket entry, increasing your chances to take home some amazing swag.
OPEN FINALS
The weekend culminates in an electric Open Finals on Saturday evening, where the top six climbers in the Men’s, Women’s, and Non-Binary divisions battle under the lights for Boulderfest titles and a cash purse of $1,500 for 1st, $750 for 2nd, and $375 for 3rd in each division.
New for 2026: The top athletes from each local Boulderfest event will also qualify for the Boulderfest Grand Finale in St. Paul on October 23–24, where a $35,000 prize purse awaits, including $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500 for the top three finishers in each division.
Learn more below!
An All-Day Hang
Boulderfest is more than a community competition; it’s a whole day of activities. Our community comp, vendor market, games, beer from West Wall, flash tattoos, and Open Finals make the day one giant party you won’t want to miss!
COMMUNITY AT THE CORE
When you’re not climbing, check out our sponsor booths, food and beverage, fun games, and more!
YOUTH
For the first time, Boulderfest is open to youth climbers ages 8+! Join us for the Saturday Morning Community Competition (9:00 AM–12:00 PM) and experience all the excitement of Boulderfest alongside our incredible climbing community.
To help ensure a fun and safe event for everyone, please keep the following in mind:
- Youth ages 8–13 must have one supervising adult (18+) per youth climber (1:1 ratio).
- Supervising adults are welcome to register and compete in the same session while remaining responsible for supervising their youth climber on the mats throughout the event.
- All participants must complete event registration and any required waivers before climbing.
- Registration is limited, so be sure to sign up early to reserve your spot!
We can’t wait to see the next generation of climbers join the Boulderfest community. If you have any questions about youth participation or registration, reach out to poplar@boulderingproject.com.
VOLUNTEERS
We would love for you to be involved!
Volunteers & Volunteer Judges receive a Boulderfest T-shirt and two (2) free day passes for future use per volunteer session worked.
Volunteer Medics receive a Boulderfest T-shirt and one (1) month of membership per volunteer session worked. Must have a current CPR/First Aid certification (EMT certification or higher preferred) valid through September 26th, 2026 to be eligible to volunteer for this role.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Partner with Boulderfest and connect with hundreds of climbers and spectators throughout the weekend. Sponsorship opportunities include on-site activations, event signage, digital promotion, livestream recognition, and branded giveaways. We’d love to create a partnership that helps showcase your brand while supporting the climbing community.
Interested in sponsoring Boulderfest? Get in touch to learn more.
Boulderfest is an electric, all-day community celebration featuring a youth and adult climbing competition, entertainment, music, food, raffles, open finals, and community connection. It’s open to everyone, and the competition is geared for climbers of all levels—from beginners to experts.
Boulderfest will take place at our Poplar location (900 Poplar Pl S).
Community Comp
Competitors may choose one session:
Friday, 6:00–9:00 PM
Saturday, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
Saturday, 2:00–5:00 PM
Each completed boulder earns one raffle ticket. Raffle winners will be drawn after Community Comp concludes on Saturday.
Open Comp
Qualifiers take place Friday from 6:00–9:00 PM.
Climbs receive individual scores, and rankings are based on a competitor’s top ten scoring climbs.
The top six climbers in each division advance to Finals on Saturday from 7:00–8:30 PM.
Community Comp
Recreational: Yellow, Red, Green (V0–V2)
Intermediate: Purple, Orange, Black (V3–V5)
Advanced: Black, Blue, Pink (V6–V8)
If you can consistently complete ten climbs in the highest color of your category during a session, we recommend moving up to the next division.
Open Comp
The Open Comp is designed for climbers who predominantly climb Blue, Pink, White, and Mint (V8+).
If you’re looking for a more competitive environment and want to test yourself against some of the strongest climbers in the region, the Open Comp is for you.
Community Comp is an all-levels climbing competition focused on having fun, challenging yourself, and winning prizes from our sponsors.
Open Comp is a more competitive format featuring scored qualifiers, Open Finals, and a cash purse for the top finishers in each division.
Competitors may register for either the Community Comp or the Open Comp. Please select the category and division that best matches your goals and climbing ability for the weekend.
Rules talks will be given before the beginning of each session. Please plan to arrive on time to hear the rules talk, and to give yourself as much time as possible to climb!
Yes! Boulderfest is an all-levels competition, so even if you’re new to climbing, there will be something for you to climb. Boulderfest is an awesome experience for everyone!
Yes! Spectators are welcome on both Friday and Saturday.
We also have a need for volunteers for our community rounds.
Tons of stuff! We’ll have a vendor market all day, beer from West Wall, open finals, and more!
No, the gym will be closed for anyone not competing, spectating, or volunteering.
Our parking lot gets busy! We recommend carpooling or taking public transit.