Rhode Island is home to many things: coffee milk, sailboat enthusiasts, retired women who sell nautical jewelry, and quite famously, one of the oldest and most storied annual jazz festivals in the country. Dubbed “the granddaddy of all music festivals” and the “first annual American Jazz festival,” Newport Jazz Festival turns 70 this August, and a good chunk of the festival’s crowd isn’t far behind that milestone. This is not the place to go hard, but a festival for sitting in a lawn chair next to the Atlantic Ocean, or swaying respectfully within the boundaries drawn at Fort Adams State Park by grandmotherly festival volunteers.
Since its inception in 1954, Newport Jazz Fest has been home to some of the great icons of Jazz, including Ella Fitzgerald, Charles Mingus, Tina Turner, Frank Zappa, Duke Ellington and Miles Davis. While the festival has expanded musically to include rock, funk, R&B and alternative artists, it still pulls in the best of well-known and up-and-coming jazz musicians working today. This year’s lineup includes rapper André 3000, eclectic singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, Gen-Z pop-jazz icon Laufey, three-time Grammy winner Samara Joy and many more who will play the festival’s four stages.
Along with the Newport Folk Festival — held at Fort Adams the weekend before — Newport Jazz is part of the Newport Festivals Foundation. The NFF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating the next generation of musicians through music education and artist relief programs, which provide financial relief to musicians who need it. Many artists at both festivals work with the organization to provide grants to music schools and other aligned organizations.
The Specs
- 10,000 people attend Newport Jazz Fest each day, the capacity of Fort Adams State Park. The festival is three full days.
- Ticketing information: Tickets start at $111.24 for one-day general admission and range up to $312.09 for three-day admission. The full breakdown of ticket tiers and prices can be found here.
- The event takes place rain or shine.
- Lucky for you, Rhode Island is tiny. Check out Fifty Grande’s guide to the best things to do in Providence here.
FAQs
Where does the Newport Jazz Festival take place?
Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island.
What’s the exact address?
90 Fort Adams Drive Newport, RI 02840 (right on Newport Harbor). The phone number is (401) 848-5055.
What’s the best way to get there?
You can access the festival easily by car or boat. Parking at Fort Adams State Park is limited, so be sure to plan where you’ll park before the weekend of Jazz Fest. The Jamestown Newport Ferry offers service to Fort Adams from One East Ferry Wharf in Jamestown and Perotti Park in Newport.
Can you camp at Fort Adams Park?
There is no camping at Fort Adams State Park, but there are campgrounds nearby. You can find our more at Discover Newport about the area and surrounding coastal communities.
What’s the deal with the digital tickets?
Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival tickets are now all digital, according to the official site. Tix are delivered via the DICE app and your phone/QR code gets scanned at the festival gate. Tickets are delivered to mobile phones at a time close to the event. Only the ticket QR code from the DICE app on a mobile phone will be accepted at the gate. Screenshots, email confirmation and printouts are not valid. For more ticket information, you can email [email protected].
Do you have information about ADA seating?
This messaging about ADA seating is from the official site: “The venue is fairly flat, allowing for accessibility in the viewing areas. Additionally, we do offer an area at the Fort Stage reserved exclusively for our patrons with disabilities. ADA seating is located in a roped off area to the side of the sound board. This area is accessible by a paved road from the event entrance. Because space is limited, each disabled patron is allowed one guest to accompany. Seating is not provided in this area so guests should bring lawn chairs. The Quad and Harbor Stages each have an area reserved for disabled patrons on a first-come, first-served basis as well.” For more see here.
Are there any age restrictions?
No, Jazz Fest is open to all ages. Check the official website for additional restrictions.
Who’s on this year’s lineup?
André 3000, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Kamasi Washington, Elvis Costello, Laufey, Robert Glasper, Brittany Howard, Cory Wong, Dinner Party feat.Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington, Thievery Corporation, Samara Joy, Noname, PJ Morton, Galactic with Irma Thomas, Moonchild, Terrace Martin & Calvin Keys, Cimafunk, Ghost-Note, Shabaka, Christian McBride’s Jam Jawn (Special Guests TBA), Meshell Ndegeocello, Artemis, Chief Adjuah, aja monet, Sun Ra Arkestra, Julius Rodriguez, Makaya McCraven & Jeff Parker, Stankey Clarke N4EVER, Lianne La Havas, Bill Frisell FOUR feat. Johnathan Blake, Gerald Clayton, & Gregory Tardy, ACID JAZZ IS DEAD w/ DJ’s Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), & Special Guests, Alex Isley, Anat Cohen Quartetinho, Kenny Barron Trio, Jaleel Shaw, Legacy of Wayne Shorter (Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, Terri Lyne Carrington, & Ravi Coltrane), Kassa Overall, Theo Croker, Aneesa Strings, Johnathan Blake Pentad, Cisco Swank, The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis, Amaro Freitas, Nicole Zuraitis, Riley Mulherkar and Sunday Jazz.
