A New Chapter for Hop Country Is Coming to Yakima
For the past four years, Hop Country Music Festival brought live country and rock music to Yakima, Washington, creating some incredible weekends at Sozo Sports Complex. We’ve welcomed nationally recognized artists, gathered with friends and supporters, and created memories that we’ll always be proud of. This year, however, things are going to look a little different. Sozo Sports is getting ready to begin a new chapter for Hop Country, and we’re excited to start sharing more about what’s ahead.
Instead of another large, two-day outdoor event, we’re bringing Hop Country inside for a more intimate, one-night experience on October 17, 2026. The Sozo Sports indoor gym will be transformed for an evening of live music in Yakima, great food, drinks, and plenty of fun. With attendance limited to around 600 guests, this year will feel very different from the outdoor events of the past—and that’s exactly the idea. We want to create a night where our supporters can enjoy great entertainment while spending time with the people who have helped make Sozo what it is today.
We’re not quite ready to tell you who will be taking the stage, but we can tell you that we think you’re going to want to be there. Sozo has spent years bringing nationally known entertainment to Central Washington, and we’re excited about what we have planned for this next chapter. If you enjoy live music in Central Washington, memorable nights out, or are simply looking for something different among the events in Yakima, go ahead and save October 17 now.
Most importantly, Hop Country has always had a purpose beyond entertainment. Sozo Sports is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and the support generated through this event helps us continue creating opportunities for young athletes throughout the Yakima Valley. This new format gives us an opportunity to celebrate the donors, sponsors, businesses, and community members who believe in that mission while continuing to raise funds that help put more kids on our fields.
There is much more to share, and we’re only getting started. Over the next few months, we’ll reveal more about the entertainment, the experience, and everything planned for October 17. For now, save the date, tell your friends, and get ready. Hop Country Live is coming to Yakima, and we think this new chapter is going to be a pretty fun one.
















