The Brian McKnight 4 and Grammy-Nominated Baylor Project Set to Dazzle this May at Jacksonville Jazz Fest in Jacksonville, FL

The Jacksonville Jazz Festival in Jacksonville, FL will return on Memorial Day weekend with a star-studded lineup that includes The Brian McKnight 4, Gregory Porter, Joss Stone and the married musical duo The Baylor Project who has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards. Events start on Thursday, May 23 with a piano competition at the Florida Theater, and end Sunday, May 26 rounding out four days of amazing performances by international jazz, blue and R&B artists.

This free annual festival is a wonderful opportunity to hear amazing live music and experience all that Jacksonville has to offer. Jacksonville has the largest land mass in the continental United States. In the 840 square mile area visitors have the ability to visit the beach, take a stroll on the St. John’s Riverwalk, get lost in nature at Timucuan Ecological & Historical Preserve, enjoy the urban, downtown nightlife and check out 25 local breweries on the Jax Ale Trail.

The history of jazz in Jacksonville runs deep. The LaVilla neighborhood, near downtown, was referred to as the “Harlem of the South” in the 1940s and remained a hub of Black culture for decades. James Weldon Johnson, NAACP leader and author of “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” was a LaVilla native. The song, written in 1900, is now known as the Black National Anthem. During LaVilla’s heyday, musical legends including Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington performed at The Ritz Theater which has been preserved and now serves as a theater and museum.

This cultural and musical influence still beats through the city of Jacksonville and that energy contributed to the start of the beachfront Mayport and All That Jazz Festival in 1980. Over time, the event was relocated to downtown and renamed the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, one of the largest free jazz festivals in the country. “Over the years it's just grown and grown, and it's free, which makes it fantastic, but it really is a celebration of the historical music aspects of Jacksonville,” said Andrea Mestdagh, Senior Marketing Communications Manager for Visit Jacksonville.

This year, performances will take place at two downtown locations, Daily’s Place and the Met Park. Like most festivals, it will be rain or shine, but attendees are in luck because the Daily’s Place Amphitheater is a covered venue. The festival’s central downtown location puts you close to restaurants, shopping and popular local destinations. For example, Intuition Ale Works, one of the stops on the Jax Ale Trail is conveniently located near Met Park.

As mentioned, all four days of the festival are free, but if you’re looking for the ultimate experience, VIP tickets provide premier seating, access to dedicated bars, a VIP lounge (Met Park Only) and exclusive climate-controlled restrooms (Met Park Only).  Visit the official Jacksonville Jazz Festival website for more information on this event and check out Visit Jax to find the perfect hotel, restaurants and attractions for your Memorial Day weekend.