Today, the City of Atlanta’s Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs announced that the 43rd annual Atlanta Jazz Festival (AJF) will take place over Labor Day Weekend, Sunday, September 5 and Monday, September 6. The Festival was rescheduled from its traditional Memorial Day Weekend date out of an abundance of caution due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic.
The lineup will feature a variety of jazz sounds and stylings from up-and-coming talent like Brenda Nicole Moorer to seasoned jazz performers like Patti Austin and Archie Shepp and will largely be the same artists who were previously announced in 2020. More than 15 artists and musicians will entertain festivalgoers on two stages in Piedmont Park: the Oak Hill Stage and Meadow Stage. This year, festivalgoers can also participate in a VIP Lounge experience at the Oak Hill Stage.
As a lead up to Festival weekend, Atlantans and jazz aficionados throughout the country and around the world can enjoy a free video series called In the Tradition which introduces the artists performing in the 2021 Atlanta Jazz Festival. The series began on April 6 and is hosted by local musicians, radio personalities, scholars and community leaders. The pre-recorded, 30-minute episodes air live on AtlantaFestivals.com, Facebook, YouTube and Channel 26 on select Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m., ending on August 31, 2021.
This year’s festival will also feature an educational component. Attendees to the 43rd annual Atlanta Jazz Festival will have the opportunity to participate in Jazz 101 workshops covering a broad spectrum of topics designed to intrigue, entertain, educate and inform the diverse audiences attending the country’s largest and longest running urban jazz festival. Held during Festival weekend, the Jazz 101 workshops will be free and open to the public.
To prepare for the return of the Atlanta Jazz Festival this Labor Day Weekend, on Friday, June 4, attendees can begin purchasing official Festival merchandise through the Festival’s new online store by visiting shop.atlantafestivals.com.
The Atlanta Jazz Festival will follow all COVID-19 guidelines as determined by Georgia and the City of Atlanta at the date of the Festival. Updates will be announced on the Atlanta Jazz Festival website and social media channels.
“We’re looking forward to hosting a great Festival this year with a variety of established and rising jazz musicians,” said Camille Russell Love, Executive Director – Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “We’re thrilled that the Festival will be back in 2021 and hope that everyone is able to join us on Labor Day Weekend for a safe and entertaining event,” she added.
Returning sponsors include PNC Bank and the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. Those interested in sponsoring the Atlanta Jazz Festival should contact Jihan Ali at [email protected] or 470-773-2547. For more information on the Atlanta Jazz Festival, visit www.atlantafestivals.com.
The Complete Lineup for the 2021 Festival includes:
Sunday, September 5, 2021
Oak Hill Stage
1:30 p.m. – Pasquale Grasso Trio
3:30 p.m. - Yuko Mabuchi
5:30 p.m. - Alexey Marti
7:30 p.m. - Miguel Zenon
Meadow Stage
1 p.m. - Karla Harris
3 p.m. - Ryan Kilgore
5 p.m. – Jazzmeia Horn
7 p.m. - Ron Carter
9 p.m. - Patti Austin
Monday, September 6, 2021
Oak Hill Stage
1:30 p.m. - Brenda Nicole Moorer
3:30 p.m. - Logan Richardson
5:30 p.m. – Irreversible Entanglements
7:30 p.m. - Mike Phillips
Meadow Stage
1 p.m. - Isaiah Sharkey
3 p.m. - Laurin Talese
5 p.m. - Theo Croker
7 p.m. – Sean Jones
9 p.m. – Archie Shepp
