MUSIC

Capital Jazz Festival

Columbia, MDJUNE3 DAYSFOUNDED 1992

WHY IT'S HERE

Founded in 1992, the longest-running contemporary jazz festival in the United States, premier annual gathering for Black professionals who love smooth jazz, R&B, and soul.

The Capital Jazz Festival was founded in 1992 and held annually at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, just outside Washington, DC. Over three days each June, the festival features more than 30 performances across contemporary jazz, R&B, soul, and gospel. Past headliners have included Najee, Kem, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Patti LaBelle, Charlie Wilson, Will Downing, and Jeffrey Osborne. The festival has become a fixture on the calendar of Black professionals across the DMV region and the broader East Coast, attracting a multi-generational audience known for showing up dressed and ready to celebrate.