Performer Booking Info

Thanks for your interest in performing at the 2027 Moisture Festival!

Our 2027 Festival runs March 18–April 11 in Seattle, with six shows each week, Thursday through Sunday.

Moisture Festival has a unique format, and performing with us may be different from other festivals or venues you’ve worked with. Before applying, please read the information below in full. It explains how the Festival works, what we ask of our performers, and what you can expect from us. Understanding these details before you apply helps ensure that Moisture Festival is a good fit for you and your work.

If it sounds like a fit, you’ll find the application link at the end. We look forward to hearing from you!

How the Money Works

There is no guaranteed performance fee for participating in Moisture Festival. Please keep this in mind when deciding whether the Festival is the right fit for you.

Moisture Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and performer compensation operates on a cooperative share system. Performers receive one share for each show in which they perform. For example, an act that performs once receives one share; an act that performs ten times receives ten shares.

Historically, the value of a share has ranged from $25–$55, but there is no guaranteed share value. At the end of the Festival, after expenses have been paid and funds have been set aside for year-round operating costs, any remaining funds available for performer compensation are divided by the total number of performer shares. Performers are then paid according to the number of shares they earned.

Hat-passing is not permitted at Moisture Festival. Performers may not solicit tips or pass a hat during or after performances. However, you are welcome to bring merchandise to sell. Performers are responsible for accepting their own payments via Venmo or a comparable payment service.

How the Shows at Moisture Festival Work

All Moisture Festival shows are presented in a variety format, with a host, a live show band, and approximately 8–10 acts in each show. Most shows include one or two aerial acts as part of the mix.
Four of our six shows each week are all-ages performances. Two of these are matinees, which tend to attract more children and families but are not specifically kids’ shows.
Two Friday evening performances, Frisky Friday, feature more adult-oriented material, including burlesque, and are intended for audiences ages 18+.
Most acts run 4–8 minutes. Please tell us the length of your act and whether you can perform a shorter version when needed.
If your act uses music, we strongly encourage you to work with our live band, although recorded music is also possible. Our band leaders will contact booked performers in advance to explore what will work best for your act.
Every show is different. Acts may perform anywhere from once to ten times over the month-long Festival, and no act performs in every show. Out-of-town performers typically join us for one or two weeks and perform in most, but not necessarily all, shows during their time in Seattle.
Acts must be able to set up and strike quickly. Technical rehearsal time is limited. We provide a sound check and lighting check and review necessary cues, but the Festival moves quickly and acts requiring extensive technical rehearsal may not be a good fit. Booked performers will be asked to provide complete technical requirements through our performer tech questionnaire.
All shows take place at Broadway Performance Hall, which provides theatrical lighting, a sound system, technicians, shared dressing rooms, and two follow spots. The theater cannot accommodate complicated or highly specialized technical requirements, and lighting instruments generally cannot be refocused for individual acts.
Aerial artists are required to carry liability insurance and provide a rider naming Moisture Festival as an additional insured.

How Transportation, Housing, and Meals work

Moisture Festival works with performers traveling from outside the Seattle area to help arrange air or train travel. If you prefer to book your own airfare or train tickets, expenses must be approved in advance to be eligible for reimbursement.
Ground transportation between the airport, your housing, and the theater is provided by our volunteers.
Housing is provided by our wonderful volunteer hosts, with consideration given to performers’ individual needs and preferences.
On show days, Moisture Festival provides snacks throughout the day and a full dinner for performers, volunteers, and staff.
Ferry tickets, baggage fees, and theater parking are reimbursable with receipts. Receipts must be submitted by April 30.
Mileage is reimbursable for performers driving from 30–200 miles outside Seattle, at a mileage rate determined annually. Travel beyond the 200-mile limit must be approved in advance to be eligible for reimbursement.

More travel details will be provided at the time of booking!

Booking Details

The Moisture Festival has a team of Booking Coordinators that select:

Variety Acts
Aerial Acts
Regional Burlesque Acts for our adult-only shows at 7 PM and 10:30 PM on Friday nights

Please note:

Acts using live animals are not allowed.
Acts using fire or pyrotechnics are not allowed.

A Note for Burlesque Performers

Moisture Festival currently presents two Frisky Friday shows each Friday during the Festival, featuring burlesque and other spicy variety acts for adult audiences.

Because burlesque is currently presented on Fridays only, we can generally accommodate burlesque performers who are regional to the Pacific Northwest (Bellingham to Portland).

We are unable to provide air travel for a performer coming to Seattle solely for the Friday burlesque shows. However, if you also have a separate act appropriate for our all-ages variety shows, you may be considered for performances throughout the week. In that case, please apply as both a Variety Act and a Burlesque Act.

Application Timeline & Questions

Applications will be accepted September 22–December 1, 2026. You’ll receive an email confirming that your application has been submitted successfully.

We aim to notify all applicants of their booking status by January 15, 2027. In some circumstances, final decisions may take until January 31, but we strive to complete booking by January 15.

Moisture Festival communicates with performers primarily by email. If you have questions about the Festival, your application, or booking, please contact our Artistic Director, Harry Levine, at harrylevine@moisturefestival.org.

Please remember that Moisture Festival is primarily run by volunteers, so responses may sometimes take a little time. If you’ve reached out and haven’t heard back after a few weeks, please feel free to follow up.

Thank you for your patience, your interest in Moisture Festival, and your desire to precipitate!

📝 Click for 2027 Artist Application Form