Next Fests

Next Fests

Looking for a girl’s trip, baecation or networking event for the culture?

Welcome to the Best Next Fests.

Featured Fests

AfroFuture Festival Group Trip

Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 2025
Accra, GA

Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival

Nov. 16 -17
Los Angeles, CA

Filtering by: “Jazz and R&B”
Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, NC
Apr
5
to Apr 6

Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, NC

Dreamville Festival 2024 logo

Dreamville Festival

This is J. Cole’s annual festival and performers include everyone on the Dreamville label. Previous guests included Big Sean, 6lack, Usher, Drake, and T-Pain. Check out the a guide for Dreamville Festival 2024 here.

Dates: TBD

Cost: TBD

Age: All ages are welcome with supervision.

Location: Dorthea Dix Park, 1030 Richardson Dr, Raleigh, NC 27603

 

2024 Dreamville FEST RECAP

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French Quarter Fest in New Orleans, LA
Apr
10
to Apr 13

French Quarter Fest in New Orleans, LA

French-Quarter-Fest-2024-line-up

French Quarter Festival

Started in 1984, this festival has over 20 stages featuring world-renowned jazz, R&B, New Orleans funk, brass bands, folk, gospel, Latin, Zydeco, classical, cabaret performers. Join the fun, eat great food and enjoy all the good energy of the Big Easy.

The 2025 line-up won’t come out for a while but the dates are locked in!

Cost: Free

Age: Open to all ages.

Location: Various area in the French Quarter.

 

French Quarter FEST 2023 RECAP

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Ocean City Jazz Festival in N. Topsail Island, NC
Jul
4
to Jul 6

Ocean City Jazz Festival in N. Topsail Island, NC

Ocean City Jazz Fest

Enjoy the coastal NC breeze with highly-acclaimed performers from around the country to celebrate this weekend of jazz and history support one of the few remaining Black beach towns in America.

Cost: TBD

Age: Kids are welcome and ages 11 and under are free with a paying adult.

Location: Ocean City Beach, 2649 Island Dr, N. Topsail Beach, NC 28460

 

Ocean City Jazz Fest 2023 RECAP

 

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Home Fest in New Orleans, LA
Oct
1

Home Fest in New Orleans, LA

Home-fest-bayou-road-new-Orleans-LA fliers

Home Fest

HomeFest is a New Orleans’ festival celebrating history, culture, and local economy on Bayou Road. Bayou Road is located in a historic neighborhood of Free People of Color and is currently home to nearly two dozen BlPOC owned businesses and institutions. Date TBD.

Cost: TBD

Age: Kids allowed with adult supervision.

Location: Bayou Rd., New Orleans

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Blavity House Party at AfroTech Conference in Houston, TX
Nov
16

Blavity House Party at AfroTech Conference in Houston, TX

2024-Afro-tech-houston-tx-blavity-house-party flier

Blavity House Party @ Afrotech Conference

Get ready, Blavity House Party is taking over AFROTECH™ Conference 2024 with an unforgettable experience! You don’t want to miss live performances from Houston legends Bun B, Slim Thug, and Mike Jones with special guests Jagged Edge in addition to live DJ sets .

Cost: Prices start at $60.

Location: Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney Street, Houston, TX 77010

 

2023 AfroTech Conference Recap

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Cancun Jazz Festival in Cancun, Mexico
Nov
8
to Nov 10

Cancun Jazz Festival in Cancun, Mexico

Cancun-Mexico-jazz-fest logo

Cancun Jazz Festival

Enjoy jazz favorites including Ray Parker Jr., Tim Bowman, Paul Brown and Karen Briggs in the Caribbean breeze at Ibersostar Paraiso Resort in Riviera Maya.

Cost: GA tickets start at $375. Packages start at $1934.

Age: 18+, this is an adults-only resort.

Location: Ibersostar Paraiso Resort, Avenida del Sol Km 309, Playa Paraiso, 77710 Riviera Maya, Q.R., Mexico

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Arizona Jazz Fest in Glendale, AZ
Oct
25
to Oct 27

Arizona Jazz Fest in Glendale, AZ

Arizona Jazz Fest

Enjoy live music from icons like The Isley Brothers, Erykah Badu and the O’Jay and local vendors serving up Arizona’s best.

Cost: One-day GA tickets start at $165 and three-day GA tickets start at $435.

Location: West Valley Event Complex, 10020 N Ball Park Blvd, Glendale, AZ 85305

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Atlanta Wine and Jazz Festival in Atlanta, GA
Oct
12

Atlanta Wine and Jazz Festival in Atlanta, GA

2024-Atlanta-Wine-Jazz-Festival Digital flier

Atlanta Wine and Jazz Festival

Enjoy top smooth jazz artists in the beautiful new Westside Park Midtown with unlimited sampling of 50+ international and domestic wines, craft beers, and craft spirits.

Cost: Early bird GA tickets start at $65.

Location: Grant Park, 840 Cherokee Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30315

 

2023 Atlanta Wine and Jazz Festival Recap

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2nd Street Festival in Richmond, VA
Oct
5
to Oct 6

2nd Street Festival in Richmond, VA

Save the date for 2nd St Festival in Richmond VA

2nd Street Festival

This FREE event is celebrating its 36th anniversary. Enjoy two days of music and fun in the historic Black community of Jackson Ward.

Cost: FREE

Age: All ages are welcome with adult supervision.

Location: Jackson Ward neighborhood, use 124 E. Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219 for directions.

 

2024 2nd Street Festival Annoucement

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Blue Note Jazz Festival in Tokyo, Japan
Sep
21
to Sep 22

Blue Note Jazz Festival in Tokyo, Japan

Blue Note Jazz Festival Japan

Blue Note Jazz Festival

Robert Glasper is taking the show overseas to Japan with an amazing lineup.

Cost: General admission is 15000 yen which is around $100 USD.

Age: All ages are welcome with adult supervision.

Location: 1 Chome-11-1 Ariake, Koto City, Tokyo 135-0063, Japan

 

recap of 2023 Blue Note Jazz Festival

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Revolt World in Atlanta, GA
Sep
20
to Sep 22

Revolt World in Atlanta, GA

Revolt-world-2024-atlanta flier

Revolt World

Revolution World is back for year two! The lineup is out and Mariah the Scientist, Offset and Yung Miami are just a few of the artists you’ll have the opportunity to see.

Read the blog post for more info.

Cost: GA tickets start at $1.

Age: Children are welcome with adult supervision.

Location: Pangea Studios, 3350 Greenbriar Parkway Southwest, Atlanta, GA 30331

 

Revolt World 2023 Recap

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Carolina Daze Music and Arts Festival in Raleigh, NC
Sep
14

Carolina Daze Music and Arts Festival in Raleigh, NC

2024 Carolina Daze Lineup in Raleigh NC

Carolina Daze Music and Arts Festival

Tierra Whack, NC’s own Lute and more will hit the stage. Enjoy great music for a good cause during this new festival that fundraises for numerous causes.

Cost: GA tickets start at $25.

Location: Red Hat Amphitheater, 500 S McDowell St, Raleigh, NC 27601

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Music at the Intersection in St. Louis, MO
Sep
12
to Sep 15

Music at the Intersection in St. Louis, MO

2024 Music at the Intersection line up

Music at the Intersection

Enjoy performances from Chaka Khan, Samara Joy, Big Boi from OutKast, St. Louis native Chingy and Jordan Ward. This event celebrates the African-American contributions to music in a big way.

Cost: One-day tickets are $95. Two-day tickets start at $175.

Age: All ages are welcome. Kids 11 and younger are free.

Location: Grand Center Arts District, Grand and Washington Boulevards, St. Louis, MO 63103

 

the lineup of music at the intersection 2024

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Blue Note Jazz Festival Presents: The Black Radio Experience in Napa, CA
Aug
30
to Sep 1

Blue Note Jazz Festival Presents: The Black Radio Experience in Napa, CA

Black Radio Experience lineup

The Black Radio Experience

Robert Glasper is back with another Blue Note Jazz Festival event at Meritage Resort and Spa and bringing some of the best musical guests anyone could dream of!

Cost: One-day GA starts at $175, three-day GA starts at $499.

Age: All ages are welcome. Children under 5 are free.

Location: Meritage Resort and Spa, 875 Bordeaux Way, Napa, CA 94558

 

The 2024 lineup of the Black Radio Experience

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Norfolk Waterfront Jazz Festival in Norfolk, VA
Aug
16
to Aug 17

Norfolk Waterfront Jazz Festival in Norfolk, VA

Norfolk Waterfront Jazz Festival

In the 41st year, this festival continues to bring some of jazz’s best performers to the city for a weekend of fun.

Cost: Single day GA is $35, two day GA is $60.

Age: All ages are welcome.

Location: Town Point Park, Downtown Norfolk Waterfront, VA

 

2023 Norfolk Waterfront Jazz Festival Recap

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Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, RI
Aug
2
to Aug 4

Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, RI

Newport Jazz Festival 2024 lineup

Newport Jazz Festival

This event started in 1954 and has had greats including James Brown, Nina Simone and Charles Mingus historically grace the stage. Last year, Thundercat, Samara Joy and Big Freedia performed.

Cost: Sold out. You can join the waitlist.

Age: All ages are welcome.

Location: Fort Adams State Park, 90 Fort Adams Dr Newport, RI 02840

 

2023 Newport Jazz Festival Recap

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Broccoli City Fest in Washington, DC
Jul
27
to Jul 28

Broccoli City Fest in Washington, DC

Broccoli City Festival

The team has made some tweaks after last year including a new location and they’ve got an amazing line-up for 2024.

Cost: GA tickets start at $235.

Age: Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an 18+ adult. All guests must purchase a ticket. 

Location: Audi Field, 100 Potomac Ave SW, Washington, DC 20024

 

Broccoli City Fest 2024 Announcement

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Cincinnati Music Festival in Cincinnati, OH
Jul
25
to Jul 27

Cincinnati Music Festival in Cincinnati, OH

2024-Cincinnati-Music-Festival lineup

Cincinnati Music Festival

Don't miss this one – where the city comes alive with the sound of music, uniting fans in a collective celebration of rhythm and groove.

Cost: Thursday tickets start at $99, Friday and Saturday tickets start at $65 each day.

Age: All ages are welcome.

Location: Paycor Stadium, One Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH 45202

 
 
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Festival of the Lakes in Hammond, IN
Jul
17
to Jul 21

Festival of the Lakes in Hammond, IN

Festival of the lakes virtual flier

Festival of the Lakes

This annual festival is the Northwestern tip of Indiana, affectionately called Chicagoland because of its proximity to the Windy City. There’s a carnival and various events from Wednesday to Sunday, each evening ending with a concert.

Price: The festival and most events are free. Ginuwine and Blackstreet perform on Wednesday, and tickets are $75. Da Baby will hit the stage on Friday. Tickets are $85.

Age: All ages are welcome.

Location: The Pavilion at Wolf Lake Memorial Park, 2324 Calumet Ave, Hammond, 46230

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Ottawa Bluesfest in Ottawa, Canada
Jul
4
to Jul 14

Ottawa Bluesfest in Ottawa, Canada

Line up for Ottawa Blues Fest

Ottowa BluesFest

Celebrating 30 years of innovative music, this festival features a wide array of artists including Neil Young, Nas, 50 Cent, Nickelback, Killer Mike and Tyler Childers.

Cost: GA day passes start at $75 and full festival passes are $349.

Age: All ages are welcome.

Location: Lebreton Flats Park, 1 Vimy Place, Ottawa, ON K1A 0M8


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Essence Fest in New Orleans, LA
Jul
4
to Jul 7

Essence Fest in New Orleans, LA

Flier for Essence Fest

Essence Festival

Essence Fest is my favorite festival ever and they never miss, so you know they’ll be pulling all the stops for the 30th anniversary! Learn more about the event in our Essence Festival blog post.

Cost: Most events are FREE, three-day tickets for the concerts are currently $175.

Age: All ages are welcome to daytime events. There’s a free kids day as well.

Location: Various locations in New Orleans.

 
 

Interview with Caroline Wanga, dynamic CEO of Essence Ventures

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Rochester International Jazz Fest in Rochester, NY
Jun
21
to Jun 29

Rochester International Jazz Fest in Rochester, NY

Rochester International Jazz Festival

If you’re able to attend, you’ll have the pleasure of seeing Grammy winner Samara Joy, blues artist Taj Mahal and the Lee Ritenour band.

Cost: The price of tickets per event vary by performer but start around $30. Three day passes are $194 and nine day passes are $324.

Age: All ages are welcome.

Location: Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 60 Gibbs Street Rochester, NY 14604

 

2023 Recap

2023 Recap Video

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Tri-C Jazz Fest in Cleveland, OH
Jun
20
to Jun 22

Tri-C Jazz Fest in Cleveland, OH

2024 will be the 45th Tri-C Jazz Fest. This summer, jazz and R&B greats including Take 6, Ledisi, Scary Goldings and Cécile McLorin Salvant will take the stage. There will also be outdoor performances from local artists.

Cost: Weekend passes are $300. Individual day tickets will be released in April.

Age: All ages are welcome.

Location: Playhouse Square, 1501 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44115

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Florida Black Excellence Fest in Jacksonville, FL
Jun
19
to Jun 23

Florida Black Excellence Fest in Jacksonville, FL

Florida Black Excellence Fest lineup

Florida Black Excellence Fest

Focused on economic success, this festival starts on Juneteenth and highlights some of the best and brightest Black voices. Events range from a career fair to a political forum and performers include RL from R&B group Next, Tiffany Haddish and Larenz Tate.

Cost: Events are priced separately. The main event tickets start at $17.

Age: All ages are welcome.

Location: Everbank Field, 1 TIAA Bank Field Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32202

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