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 […]
Newport Jazz Festival
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On This Day In Newport History: July 17, 1954 – First Newport Jazz Festival Held
Photo of 1954 Newport Jazz Festival via Newport Jazz Festival The first Newport Jazz Festival, known as the First Annual American Jazz Festival, was held on July 17th and July 18th, 1954 at the Newport Casino. The two day event featured academic panel discussions and live music performances from Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Lee Konitz, […]
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Newport Jazz Festival adds Flying Lotus and Nubya Garcia to 2025 lineup
The Newport Jazz Festival is adding Flying Lotus and Nubya Garcia to its Friday lineup for the 2025 event. This 71st annual festival, happening August 1-3 at Fort Adams State Park, promises a wide range of artists over three days. Grammy-nominated producer Flying Lotus and indie jazz composer and saxophonist Nubya Garcia are joining an […]
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Here are the daily lineups for the 2025 Newport Jazz Festival
This summer, the Newport Jazz Festival will return to Fort Adams State Park for the iconic cultural institution’s 71st edition. One of the longest-running and most storied festivals in America will return on August 1-3, continuing to host once-in-a-lifetime performances that only Newport’s unique blend of intimacy and artistic community can bring. Fans and artists alike return each year to this hallowed […]
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Janelle Monáe, The Roots, and Jacob Collier to headline 2025 Newport Jazz Festival
This summer, the Newport Jazz Festival will return to Fort Adams State Park in Rhode Island for the iconic cultural institution’s 71st edition. One of the longest-running and most storied festivals in America will return August 1-3. It will continue to host once-in-a-lifetime performances that only Newport’s unique alchemy of intimacy and artistic community can bring. Fans and artists alike return each year […]
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Newport Jazz Festival 2025 lineup to be unveiled next week
Get ready, jazz fans! The Newport Jazz Festival is gearing up for its 2025 edition. The Newport Festivals Foundation has just announced that the lineup will be revealed next week, with ticket sales starting soon after. Mark your calendars for August 1-3, 2025, when the festival will take over Fort Adams State Park in Newport. […]
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Newport Jazz Festival 2024: Jazz is alive, well, and thriving – Day 3 recap and photos
Jazz music as a popular art form has been declared dead more than once. But America’s original art form has endured, resurrected on several occasions, each time characterized by a slight change in direction. The core essence of the genre – improvisational music played collaboratively among a group of well-trained musicians – remains at the […]
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Thousands brave the heat for 70th anniversary of Newport Jazz Festival
NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — A capacity crowd of about 10,000 people braved heat and humidity to witness the 70th anniversary of the Newport Jazz Festival, one of the largest music festivals in New England. The festival, which ends Sunday, is also one of the biggest multi-day jazz festivals in the world. It has brought legions […]
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From Weekly Gig to Newport Jazz: Sunday Jazz’s remarkable journey
Leland Baker and his Sunday Jazz ensemble performed at the Newport Jazz Festival, featuring musicians he met through various configurations in the New England area. All members of the ensemble have played with Baker at the Courtland Club, a Providence cocktail bar. “We’re definitely so honored and grateful to be here on this sacred ground,” […]
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What’s Up Interview: Trumpeter Riley Mulherkar talks about Newport experience and debut album
Riley Mulherkar is a trumpeter, community activist, and 2020 recipient of Lincoln Center’s Emerging Artist Award who played Newport Jazz on Saturday, August 3. His debut album, Riley, has been described by DownBeat Magazine as “über hip, modern yet timeless.” What’sUpNewp spoke with Mulherkar after his set on the Harbor Stage. “This place is really […]
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Newport Jazz Festival 2024: Classic jazz and new beats – Day 2 recap and photos
Day two at the 2024 Newport Jazz Festival saw a continuation of a trend that began on Day one. That trend saw both new and veteran acts bringing their A-game to the historic happening at Fort Adams State Park. The 70th annual festival saw another banner day, with rising stars blending in brilliantly alongside several […]
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Bike Newport founder highlights growth in Newport Folk & Jazz Festival cycling
Bike Newport is experiencing a steady flow of cyclists at the Newport Jazz Festival, with 350 bikes counted on Friday, according to Bari Freeman, Executive Director and Founder of the organization. While the numbers are lower compared to the Newport Folk Festival held last week, which saw up to 1,800 bikes per day, Freeman says […]
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New protected Bike Lane improves safety during Newport Folk Festival
A new protected bike lane on Harrison Avenue significantly improved safety for cyclists attending the Newport Folk Festival, with organizers considering making it a permanent feature for future events. The dedicated two-way bike lane, implemented through collaboration between Bike Newport and local police, addressed safety concerns on a steep section of the road where cyclists […]
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Newport Jazz Festival 2024: This is not your grandfather’s festival – Day 1 recap and photos
The 70th Anniversary of the historic Newport Jazz Festival kicked off on Friday August 2 at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, RI. A sellout crowd saw a warm summer day usher in cool vibes that rained down on musicians and attendees. Good feels were abundant. There was great jazz of course, but there was […]
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Newport Jazz Festival opens doors to Newport’s youth
The Newport Jazz Festival is expanding its student outreach program, offering free tickets to Rogers High School seniors for the second consecutive year. Dan Swain, Director of Development and Programs for Newport Festivals Foundation, says the initiative aims to cultivate lifelong jazz fans among the younger generation. “We started last year offering any senior student […]
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Newport Folk & Jazz Festival’s Family Tent evolves with local nonprofit partnerships
The Newport Festivals Foundation is enhancing the family experience at its Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals with a revamped Family Tent featuring local nonprofits and hands-on activities for children. Dan Swain, Director of Development and Programs for the Newport Festivals Foundation, says the idea for the new format emerged about two or three years ago […]
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Newport Police share traffic management plan for Newport Jazz Festival weekend
Ahead of the sold-out Newport Jazz Festival, the Newport Police Department is sharing details on their plans to control traffic to and from Fort Adams State Park and around the city. Newport Police Department today shared the following press release; Newport Police Department Implements Traffic Management Plan to Enhance Festival Experience Newport, RI – […]
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“Six Picks” Newport Jazz Edition – Don’t miss these sets at the historic festival this weekend
The Newport Jazz Festival is back! Founded 70 years ago, the historic festival at Fort Adams State Park begins Friday, August 2, and runs through Sunday, August 4. With over 50 performances on the schedule, every fan has their favorite. Below are my “Six Picks” for 2024 with an important reminder – like last weekend’s […]
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What’s Up Interview: Kamasi Washington, headlining the Newport Jazz Festival on Friday, August 2
NOTE: Portions of this story were originally published in May 2023. Kamasi Washington exists on the cutting edge of jazz. He is the avant-garde, who along with a group of fellow visionaries, is setting the tone in the jazz world. Like Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, Washington’s music transcends what came before, pushing […]
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City of Newport offers water safety tips ahead of Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals
With Newport’s Folk and Jazz Festivals just around the corner, City of Newport officials are offering safety tips and reminders for those planning to spend time on the water. Newport city officials are advising those planning to spend time on the water during the upcoming Folk and Jazz Festivals to wear a life jacket, headlamp, […]
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Only Friday and Sunday single-day tickets remain for the 2024 Newport Jazz Festival
This summer, the Newport Jazz Festival will return to Fort Adams State Park in Rhode Island to celebrate a major milestone—the iconic cultural institution’s 70th Anniversary. One of the longest-running and most storied festivals in America will return August 2-4, where it will continue to host once-in-a-lifetime performances that only Newport’s unique alchemy of intimacy […]
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2024 Newport Jazz Festival lineup announced
This summer the Newport Jazz Festival will return to Fort Adams State Park in Rhode Island to celebrate a major milestone – the iconic cultural institution’s 70th Anniversary. One of the longest running and most storied festivals in America will return August 2-4 where it will continue to host once in a lifetime performances that only Newport’s unique alchemy of intimacy and artistic community […]
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Newport Jazz Festival to celebrate 70th Anniversary in 2024; tickets and lineup will be released on April 9
The Newport Jazz Festival returns to Fort Adams State Park in August for its 70th Anniversary celebration, which will take place from August 2 to 4. Specially priced three-day general admission tickets go on sale on Tuesday, April 9, at 1 p.m., the same time Newport Jazz Festival will release the 2024 lineup. All three-day, […]
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Registration is now open for The Newport Jazz Summer Camp at Salve Regina University
The Newport Jazz Summer Camp at Salve Regina University is an exciting opportunity for high school students ages 14-18 to learn from professional musicians and music professors. This year’s camp, in partnership with the Newport Festivals Foundation, will include master performance classes focusing on jazz theory and improvisation, small ensembles, and big bands, culminating in a […]
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What’s Up Interview: We speak with Rising Stars at the Newport Jazz Festival
What’s Up Newp sat down with a trio of young artists at the Newport Jazz Festival last weekend. We met Matthew Whitaker, Julius Rodriguez and members of Butcher Brown at the festival. Here’s what they had to say. Butcher Brown Butcher Brown, a band of five artists from Richmond, Virginia, played the Quad Stage at […]