71st Newport Jazz Festival opens with student performances, star-studded lineup

NEWPORT, R.I. — The 71st Newport Jazz Festival kicked off Friday at Fort Adams State Park, combining the energy of emerging talent with legendary performers across three days of music that has drawn sold-out crowds to Newport’s iconic waterfront venue.

Friday’s opening day featured a unique educational component as high school students from across the state took the main stage as part of the Newport Jazz Summer Camp, a partnership between the Newport Festivals Foundation and Salve Regina University. The intensive program brought young musicians together to study jazz theory, improvisation, small ensembles and big band performance under the guidance of experienced music educators and festival artists. The day’s headliners included The Roots, Raye, Thee Sacred Souls, The Yussef Dayes Experience, Rachael & Vilray, and a tribute featuring Louis Cato, John Scofield and Marcus Miller, among others.

Saturday’s lineup showcased both established stars and rising talent, with performances by Janelle Monáe, Flying Lotus, Willow, and Dianne Reeves anchoring the day. Monáe called her performance “a celebration, a celebration of music — a language that all can understand” and paid tribute to late jazz greats during her set. The Rhode Island Music Education Association Jazz All-Stars also performed, continuing the festival’s commitment to highlighting local and student musicians. Other notable acts included Nubya Garcia, Knower, Samm Henshaw, and the Bela Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, Antonio Sanchez Trio. The day also featured Terence Blanchard: Flow, Carrtoons, Kokoroko, and a centennial tribute to Roy Haynes presented by Marcus Gilmore.

Sunday’s final day promises performances by Jacob Collier, Jorja Smith, Esperanza Spalding, De La Soul, and Cécile McLorin Salvant, with the URI Jazz Collective continuing the educational theme established throughout the weekend.

The festival, which runs through Sunday evening, marks another chapter in the storied history of one of America’s longest-running music festivals, maintaining its reputation for presenting both jazz legends and the genre’s evolving future.