Official Site of the
32nd Annual Capital Jazz Fest
The jazz festival with soul!
June 6-8, 2025
Capital Jazz Fest 2025!
Tickets on sale now!
Mark your calendar for our 32nd annual Capital Jazz Fest, to be held June 6-8, 2025 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland! Held each year during Black Music Month since 1993, the Capital Jazz Fest is one of the longest running festivals in the DMV and one of the premier black music events in the country, featuring over 30 acts over three days. In-between musical sets, enjoy the juried craft vendors at the Festival Marketplace, culinary treats at the food courts, and interactive Q&A sessions with the artists.
CHECK OUT THE 2025 FESTIVAL TALENT LINEUP!
2025 Festival Highlights
- Jazz singers Esperanza Spalding and Samara Joy — both of whom have won the Grammy for Best New Artist (in 2011 and 2023 respectively) — will be two of the headliners at this year’s festival!
- Three ’90s girl groups — TLC, En Vogue, and Brownstone — will be gracing the Symphony Woods Stage this year!
- Najee will be returning to the festival for the first time in ten years! This year also marks the 35th anniversary of his acclaimed album Tokyo Blue and his set will include a tribute to that seminal album!
- Teddy Riley, who performed at our festival with Blackstreet in 2016, is returning this year with several of his musical friends as The Teddy Riley Experience!
- Bees + Things + Flowers will be our special tribute to our late friend, the legendary Roy Ayers, who performed at the festival five times between 1993 and 2015. This special Friday night show will feature several surprise guests!
- One of the world’s greatest vocal ensembles, legendary a cappella sextet Take 6 — who has won 10 Grammys, in jazz, R&B, and gospel — returns to the festival for the first time in nine years!
- Philly’s own Urban Guerilla Orchestra will be Kickin’ Brass and takin’ names at this year’s festival! If you’re a fan of legendary horn-based bands like The Crusaders, Pleasure, The Brand New Heavies, B.T. Express, or Tower of Power, then you’ll enjoy this specially curated set that blends jazz, funk, and dance music!
- Baltimore’s own Dru Hill will be making their festival debut and performing all their hits!
- Mahogany Soul will be our tribute to the late Angie Stone, who was originally booked to perform at this year’s festival prior to her recent passing. This show will feature several surprise guests!
- Grammy-nominated 70s jazz-funk band The Blackbyrds will be performing their classics, plus a tribute to their former Howard University mentor, the late Donald Byrd!
- Hip-hop legend Big Daddy Kane, who performed at sea on one of our past SuperCruise sailings and literally jumped into a pool in the middle of his show (with microphone in hand) will be making his first-ever appearance at the Capital Jazz Fest!
- Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the Grammy-winning bass player, poet, and actor, who performed with his band Miles Long on one of our previous SuperCruise sailiings, will be making his Capital Jazz Fest debut on the Pavilion Stage!
- Atlantic Starr, known for classics like “Touch A Four Leaf Clover”, “When Love Calls”, and “Silver Shadow”, will be returning to the Symphony Woods Stage; featuring original members The Lewis Brothers (Wayne and Jonathan)!
- Legendary jazz fusion band The Headhunters, who recently celebrated their 50th anniversary, will be gracing the Pavilion Stage on Friday night!
- Singer/bassist Aneesa Strings is a rising star who’ll be making her festival debut! If you’re a fan of Meshell Ndegeocello or Esperanza Spalding, then her set is not to be missed!
- Soul singer and keyboardist Frank McComb, who could be described as “Donny Hathaway meets Herbie Hancock”, will be making his long-awaited return to the Pavilion Stage after a 13-year hiatus!
- Marcus Miller, who produced, composed, and recorded with David Sanborn for many years, will be presenting his special tribute show for Mr. Sanborn, who passed away shortly before last year’s festival. This set will also feature some surprise guests!
- Plus many other artists including Keith Sweat, Chris Botti, Eric Benét, Bob James, Avery*Sunshine, and more!
Check out highlights from the 2024 festival!
What is the Capital Jazz Fest?
Each year in June, tens of thousands of music lovers from throughout the country flock to the suburbs of Washington, D.C. to attend “the jazz festival with soul”: The Capital Jazz Fest. Started in 1993, this outdoor festival has become the place to be on the first full weekend of June! A place to people-watch, eat, drink, shop, mingle, relax, soak in the rays, make new friends, and of course hear some of the coolest music on the planet!
Over the past 30+ years, the festival has showcased a “Who’s Who” of musical talent including everyone from Al Jarreau, Grover Washington, Jr., Nancy Wilson, Ray Charles, Roberta Flack, Isaac Hayes, Chuck Brown, George Duke, Frankie Beverly, and Natalie Cole to Erykah Badu, Snarky Puppy, Musiq Soulchild, Ledisi, Common, John Legend, Robert Glasper, Mary Mary, and Raphael Saadiq.
See what festival patrons are saying about the Capital Jazz Fest…
our Capital Jazz TV channel at www.capitaljazz.tv.