The inaugural LA Jazz Festival, scheduled to begin Friday (Aug. 7), has been canceled at the last minute by organizers.
The 17-day festival was set to bring artists from more than 13 countries to venues across Los Angeles, with organizers expecting approximately 250,000 attendees throughout its run.
“Due to significant, unanticipated last-minute public safety and municipal costs associated with the final permitting of the On The Beach Festival, we have reached the decision to unfortunately postpone this year’s inaugural LA Jazz Festival,” organizer Martin Ludlow said in a statement.
“Although this decision was an extremely difficult one to reach, our commitment to the audiences and artists participating in the festival is to have a first-class experience worthy of the great legacy of Jazz and our great city. We were encouraged by the enthusiastic support of the artists on the bill, the fans and our sponsors for this inaugural event, and we look forward to presenting all of the components of this incredible cultural opportunity for Los Angeles and the world in 2027 and beyond.”
John Legend, Janelle Monáe, Parliament Funkadelic featuring George Clinton, Raphael Saadiq and Charlie Wilson were among the artists scheduled to perform at L.A.’s Dockweiler Beach during the festival’s Jazz on the Beach closing weekend on Aug. 22-23.
The weekend was also set to feature Free Nationals & Friends, Big Freedia, Original Koffee, Joey Alexander and Ezra Collective. Other special performances and collaborations included Michelle Coltrane Celebrates the Coltrane Centennial and an appearance by the L.A. Jazz Festival Foundation Youth Band.
The festival’s opening-night festivities were to feature Lalah Hathaway and Chief Adjuah, along with additional performers.
“We are so grateful to all the artists — from our headliners to our musicians in the parks, many of whom went above and beyond to make this affordable to the community,” Ludlow continued. “All current ticket holders for LA Jazz Festival events will be refunded in full within 30 days. We apologize deeply for this situation and vow to make this right over time.”
The festival had been planned as a sprawling citywide celebration of jazz and related musical styles. Its programming included a Caribbean street carnival; Jazz in the Park, a series of 25 free concerts in urban parks; Jazz After Dark, a series of free pop-up performances in clubs, restaurants and other venues; and the State of Jazz Conference.
StubHub was also announced as the official ticket marketplace of the LA Jazz Festival. Airbnb had previously been announced as the event’s inaugural title sponsor.
