Jacksonville Jazz Festival: dates, stages, parking, what to bring

The free Jacksonville Jazz Festival is held Memorial Day weekend downtown. 2026 ran May 21-24 at Ford on Bay; 2027 dates are not announced yet.

Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Facts come from the festival’s own site, jacksonvillejazzfest.com, its FAQ page and its history page, and from the City of Jacksonville’s special events listing. This page is updated for each year’s festival at the same address.

The Jacksonville Jazz Festival is a free festival held every Memorial Day weekend in Downtown Jacksonville. The 2027 dates have not been announced yet. The 2026 festival ran Thursday to Sunday, May 21-24: the Jazz Piano Competition at the Florida Theatre on Thursday night, then three days of free music on the main stage at Ford on Bay, 288 E. Bay St. Memorial Day 2027 is Monday, May 31. We will add the 2027 dates and lineup here when the festival posts them.

Know before you go

When: Memorial Day weekend; 2026 was May 21-24; 2027 not announced

Where (2026): Ford on Bay, 288 E. Bay St.; Riverfront Plaza; Florida Theatre

Cost: free, no ticket; paid VIP and Preferred packages sold separately

Bring: a one-person folding chair; no pets except service animals

Weather: rain or shine

Organizer: City of Jacksonville Office of Sports and Entertainment, events@coj.net, jacksonvillejazzfest.com

How the weekend works

From the festival’s FAQ page, the 2026 schedule:

When (2026)	What	Where
Thursday, May 21, 7 to about 10 p.m. (doors 6 p.m.)	Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition	Florida Theatre, 128 E. Forsyth St.
Friday, May 22, 4 to 11 p.m.	Ford on Bay Stage	Ford on Bay, 288 E. Bay St.
Saturday, May 23, 3 to 11 p.m.	Ford on Bay Stage	Ford on Bay
Sunday, May 24, 3 to 10:30 p.m.	Ford on Bay Stage	Ford on Bay
Friday to Sunday, from 3 or 4 p.m.	Jazz in the Plaza, local jazz and R&B	Riverfront Plaza, 2 W. Independent Drive
Saturday, May 23, 9 p.m. to midnight	Jazz Jam	Riverfront Plaza
Sunday, May 24, 1 to 2 p.m.	Jazz Clinic	The Jessie, 40 E. Adams St.
Sunday, May 24, 5:15 p.m.	Second Line Parade	Ford on Bay to Riverfront Plaza

The piano competition has five finalists competing for prizes, including a spot on the festival bill. The 2026 main stage lineup included Parliament Funkadelic featuring George Clinton, Andra Day, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, esperanza spalding, Kamasi Washington and Sheila E.

Tickets

None needed. The organizer says the festival is free to attend, with no ticket or purchase required. For a better spot at the main stage, a limited number of VIP and Preferred premium packages are sold; prices and what is included are on the festival’s VIP and Preferred pages. Packages are not refundable, and the festival will not transfer or resell them.

Parking and getting there

From the FAQ page: public parking is in downtown garages, and rates vary by location. In 2026 these opened at least an hour before the gates each day:

Yates Garage, 200 E. Adams St.
Jax Annex Garage, 21 E. Bay St.
VyStar Garage, 28 W. Forsyth St.
Water Street Garage, 541 Water St.
Duval Library Garage, 33 W. Duval St.

VIP parking was at Lot S at the Shipyards, 750 E. Bay St., with a VIP parking pass. The organizer recommends arriving early, as parking gets tight near peak hours, and suggests rideshare or carpooling.

What to bring, and what to leave home

Allowed at the Ford on Bay site: one factory-sealed bottle of water per person (not frozen), baby formula and diaper bags, one-person collapsible chairs, wheelchairs and mobility devices, strollers, wagons 40 by 23 inches or smaller, personal umbrellas up to 48 inches, blankets up to 6 by 8 feet, and outside food for yourself, with no glass and no cooler larger than 10 by 10 by 10 inches.

Not allowed: pets (ADA service animals are the exception), outside alcohol, glass, personal tents and canopies, stakes or tape to save a spot, grills, bikes, scooters and skateboards, drones, balls and frisbees, signs larger than 2 by 3 feet, and smoking or vaping. All bags are searched. The full list is on the FAQ page.

Rain: the festival is rain or shine, and performers may change times or cancel. In 2026 the festival posted Saturday weather alerts and updates on its home page, so check jacksonvillejazzfest.com on the day.

A little history

The festival began on Oct. 24, 1980, as the Mayport and All That Jazz Festival, founded by Mayor Jake Godbold; nearly 25,000 people came to see Dizzy Gillespie. It later moved to Metropolitan Park, added the piano competition in 1983 and moved to the downtown streets and Memorial Day weekend in 2009, according to the festival’s history page. The organizer calls it one of the largest free jazz festivals in the country.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Jacksonville Jazz Festival? It is held over Memorial Day weekend in Downtown Jacksonville. The 2026 festival ran Thursday to Sunday, May 21-24. The 2027 dates have not been announced yet.

Is the Jacksonville Jazz Festival free? Yes. The organizer says all events are free to attend with no ticket required. Paid VIP and Preferred premium packages are sold separately.

Where is the Jacksonville Jazz Festival held? In 2026 the main stage was at Ford on Bay, 288 E. Bay St., with a second stage, Jazz in the Plaza, at Riverfront Plaza and the Jazz Piano Competition at the Florida Theatre.

Where do I park for the Jacksonville Jazz Festival? In 2026 the Yates, Jax Annex, VyStar, Water Street and Duval Library garages opened at least an hour before the gates each day. Rates vary by garage.

Can I bring a chair or my dog to the Jacksonville Jazz Festival? One-person collapsible chairs, blankets, strollers and small wagons are allowed. Pets are not, except ADA service animals.

What this means for you

Keep Memorial Day weekend 2027 open; we will post the dates here when they are announced.
It is free: bring a folding chair, one sealed water and a small cooler of your own food.
Leave the dog at home and park in a downtown garage.