Free Kids Concerts, Festival Scavenger Hunt, and Two Education Stages Spotlight Young Musicians During Labor Day Weekend WASHINGTON, DC — DC Jazz Festival will bring a full slate of family-friendly programming to DC JazzFest at The Wharf along the Southwest Waterfront on Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6, including free interactive DC JazzBops! Kids Concerts, a festival-wide scavenger hunt for young attendees, and performances by student and emerging musicians o

September 2-6, Festival Features NEA Jazz Masters, GRAMMY Winners, International Artists, Rising Stars and DC’s Finest Across the District WASHINGTON, DC – August 20, 2025 – The DC Jazz Festival (DCJF) announces the complete lineup of the 22nd annual DC JazzFest, set to take over Washington, DC from September 2-6. This year’s festivities will showcase an extraordinary array of artistry featuring NEA Jazz Masters, GRAMMY winners, competition winners, emerging stars, internat

Butcher Brown, Corcoran Holt and Marshall Keys & Soulful Path bring a free afternoon and evening of jazz to Downtown DC on September 3 WASHINGTON, DC — DC Jazz Festival is bringing the music to the heart of Downtown DC with a dynamic afternoon and evening of live jazz at Anthem Row on Thursday, September 3, featuring jazz-funk favorites Butcher Brown, acclaimed bassist and DC native Corcoran Holt, and legendary DC saxophonist Marshall Keys & Soulful Path. Presented as par

This summer, our interns are once again helping to deliver the energy, creativity, and community spirit of DC JazzFest. Set along Washington, DC’s vibrant Southwest waterfront, the festival offers interns a front-row look at what it takes to work in an arts organization and produce a major cultural event—from artist and audience support to communications, hospitality, logistics, and community engagement. Why It Matters One of the most exciting parts of the internship experien

By Willard Jenkins, Artistic Director As the 2026 edition of DC JazzFest rolls out, our events will provide a vivid reflection of the goal of celebrating jazz as both an expression of American history and a progressive, innovative art form. The evolution of jazz as a constantly developing art form serves as a powerful metaphor for the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding. As a vital component of DC250, DCJF will continue its ongoing celebration of the enormous contribut

DCJF’s incomparable annual band competition enters its 11th year of recognizing and supporting top jazz ensemble talent WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 28, 2026 — The DC Jazz Festival® (DCJF) today announced the four bands selected as the 2026 DCJazzPrix™ Finalists, all of whom will perform Saturday, September 5, 2026 during the 11th annual DCJazzPrix Finals at Union Stage, part of the 2026 DC JazzFest. The 2026 DCJazzPrix finalists are: AMINA SCOTT QUINTET (New Orleans, LA): Led by

Labor Day Weekend festival brings jazz legends, rising stars, and hometown talent to Washington, DC, September 2–6, 2026 WASHINGTON, DC — The DC Jazz Festival (DCJF) today announced major additions to the 2026 DC JazzFest lineup: GRAMMY-winning drummer Nate Smith, NEA Jazz Masters Donald Harrison and Amina Claudine Myers, and a dynamic slate of DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) artists joining a powerhouse roster that includes Dee Dee Bridgewater, Joshua Redman, Kurt Elling

by Willard Jenkins, DC JazzFest Artistic Director DC JazzFest 2026 will once again deliver a veritable cornucopia of jazz flavors and vivid colors, presenting a tantalizing bounty of the music that makes 21 st century jazz an evolving, multi-stylistic expression. As an international jazz festival, one of our primary responsibilities is to showcase an appealing and mind-expanding range of the stylistic nuances that make jazz such a broad and vibrant art form, including presen

WASHINGTON, DC – March 5, 2026 – The DC Jazz Festival (DCJF) today announced the confirmation of four new Board members. Now comprising 30 leaders from across the District’s civic, artistic, and corporate communities, the DCJF Board reflects a dynamic group of stakeholders committed to strengthening DC’s cultural fabric. Together, this accomplished body will help guide the organization’s growth – further enhancing DC JazzFest as one of the city’s signature cultural events and