DC Jazz Festival has kicked off with more than 100 concerts at 30 venues across all eight wards of the District.
“The most exciting thing is we’re five days, back citywide,” Sunny Sumter, president and CEO of the DC Jazz Festival, said. “But we also love to say we are all things D.C.”
More than 50 performers are D.C. musicians, Sumter said. Here’s the full lineup.
The marquee event is DC JazzFest at The Wharf. Only VIP tickets ($350 before fees) were available as of Wednesday, but the jazz fest will reverberate across the District.
The Jazz Hop in Historic Anacostia will present free shows and spoken word across several venues on Friday. Local favorites Black Alley and The JoGo Project will headline stages at two outdoor pop-up venues. Here’s the full schedule.
Other free events include performances at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage (ticket reservations recommended) and student performances on The Wharf’s Pearl Street Stage.
More highlights include:
- Grammy winner Gregory Porter with a local D.C. opener: acclaimed trio The String Queens (Fri., The Anthem, $68-$98)
- Samara Joy, the Grammy winner for best new artist in 2023, will perform at The Wharf’s big event Sun.
- The DCJazzPrix international competition, where three groups will face off to win $15,000 (Sat., Union Stage, $20-$40). Brent Birckhead, a Morgan State professor who’s toured with Lauryn Hill and Nas, is one of the competitors.
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