Rochester International Jazz Festival

Start: Friday, June 20, 2025 3:15PM
End: Saturday, June 28, 2025 11:00PM

The Rochester International Jazz Festival (RIJF) is one of the world’s largest and leading jazz festivals. The multi-dimensional 9-day festival presents more than 1750 artists annually from around the world in 300+ shows at 20 diverse venues.

Every June, the joy of music brings the world to Rochester, New York, to see legendary performers, familiar favorites, rising stars, and new discoveries.

Enjoy all genres of creative improvised music and unique musical sounds from many countries, highlighting international artists’ take on the only truly American art form—jazz. With the festival’s European-style format, you can park once and walk to and from all venues.

Overview of Series & Events

• Ticketed Headliner Series presents 5 ticketed shows at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.
• Free Headliner Series presents 4 nights of 2 free open-air shows nightly on the Wegmans Stage at Parcel 5. 
• Club Pass Series features 171 shows with some of the finest creative improvised music in the world at 10 Club Pass venues. These shows are accessible with the festival’s unique Club Pass or single entry cash only at the door. Three- and nine-day Club Passes provide unlimited access to all club venues to sample a wide spectrum of music. It’s no wonder the festival motto is “It’s not just who you know; it’s who you don’t know.”
• Free Show Series presents more than 100 free shows on indoor and outdoor stages. No tickets are required. 
• Jazz Workshops have been held during the Festival since 2013. They are free and led by visiting musicians over five days for music students of all ages. Sponsored by Wegmans. 
• Jam Sessions are nightly from 10:30 until… where there’s no telling who will drop in to play. It’s said that jazz never sleeps, and this event proves it as the music goes on deep into the night  – often with unsung musicians who electrify the room. There is no cover charge. Food and beverages are available. Led by Bob Sneider and Mike Cottone. 
• RIJF/ESM Jazz Scholarship Program is the first jazz music scholarship established at the renowned Eastman School of Music. It was founded by the Festival in 2002 and has since awarded more than $500,000 for 44 scholarships. Each year, a free concert featuring scholarship winners is held during the festival. (See more on the program below)

RIJF was founded in 2002 and is produced by RIJF, LLC, a privately held company owned by Marc Iacona, Producer and Executive Director, and John Nugent, Producer and Artistic Director. Attendance has grown from 15,000 in 2002 to over 200,000 in 2024. The economic impact delivered to the region over the past 21 years is $210 million or $10 million annually.