FAQ

The Jacksonville Jazz Festival is schedule for Memorial Day weekend, May 22 - 25, 2025. The Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition presented by Yamaha will be held at the Florida Theatre on Thursday, May 22nd to kick the festival off. For May 23 - 25, the Hart Bridge Stage presented by Publix located at Tailgaters Parking will give you an experience you'll never forget!

LOCATIONS:

• Hart Bridge Stage presented by Publix at Tailgaters Parking: 225 Talleyrand Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32202
• Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition presented by Yamaha at the Florida Theatre: 128 E Forsyth St #300, Jacksonville, FL 32202

Check back for more information regarding additional activations!

The Jacksonville Jazz Festival is free to attend, no ticket required! Just bring a lawn chair for the Hart Bridge Stage presented by Publix, located at Tailgaters Parking, comfortable shoes and good energy for the weekend! For guests wanting to upgrade their time at the festival, packages for our Premium Experience areas presented by JAA for the 2025 Jacksonville Jazz Festival will be on sale beginning Friday, February 7th! Information regarding package pricing and inclusions can be found on the VIP and Preferred Seating pages. Quantities will be extremely limited, so don't wait!

Please note: All Premium Experience packages are non-refundable. This festival is a rain or shine event and all performers are subject to time change or cancellation.  The Jacksonville Jazz Festival will not facilitate the transfer or reselling of any packages. For additional FAQ's regarding packages, please visit the VIP and Preferred Seating pages.

The 2025 Jacksonville Jazz Festival will feature one incredible stage presented by Publix, located inside Tailgaters Parking! This stage will operate during specific hours, Friday–Sunday, bringing the music to life in the heart of Jacksonville!

Thank you for your interest in attending the 2025 Jacksonville Jazz Festival. Please be advised that bag checks will be in place, and that all guests must go through metal detection screening before entering the event.

The following items are prohibited from the 2025 Jacksonville Jazz Festival:

• No hard-sided coolers, soft or rolling coolers larger than 6-pack size.
• No outside alcohol
• No smoking
• No personal tents, shade canopies or other shelters/shacks, sport-brellas, etc.
• No beach or pole-style umbrellas (over 63”)
• No camping chairs with shade canopy.
• No wagons or pull-carts
• No pets (except for service animals)
• No grills
• No non-Factory sealed water for personal consumption
• No picnic or catering meals
• No professional video and audio recording equipment or noise making devices
• No weapons (knives, guns, explosives, or any items that can be construed as a weapon other than permitted pursuant to Fla. Stat. §790.06)
• No illegal substances of any kind and other contraband
• No personal transport devices such as skates, skateboards, bicycles, scooters, hoverboards, segways, golf carts, etc.
• No projectiles including Balls and Frisbees
• No signs/flags larger than 2’x3′
• No drones or other flying objects
• No unauthorized soliciting and vending
• No laser pointers
• No inserting stakes, poles, or any other objects into the ground, or use of ropes, cords, tape, etc. to reserve space
• No other items deemed unacceptable by the City of Jacksonville

Items allowed into the 2025 Jacksonville Jazz Festival:

• 1 (one) factory-sealed bottled water per person.
• Baby formula, snacks for children, or medically necessary food. 
• Standard size, single collapsible chairs. 1 (one) chair per person.
• Wheelchairs and medical scooters
• Push strollers for children
• Personal-sized umbrellas
• Blankets and group tarps – 6’x8’ or less, leaving enough space around each blanket/tarp for safe foot passage

NOTE: The City of Jacksonville reserves the right to adjust these lists at anytime without notice.

The City of Jacksonville is committed to creating a safe and enjoyable event experience for all. When attending a City of Jacksonville Event  produced by the Office of Sports and Entertainment, please refrain from the following:

• Behavior that is unruly, disruptive, threatening or illegal in nature, including fighting and physical harassment
• Foul, harassing or abusive language towards other attendees or staff
• Unreasonably obstructing the view or pathways to areas within the event walkways
• Smoking (including e-cigarettes)
• Intoxication or other signs of alcohol or substance impairment
• Obscene or offensive gestures, signage or clothing, including the use of such language or gestures concerning a person's race, ethnicity, color, gender, religion, creed, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or national origin; or to instigate, incite or encourage a confrontation or physical assault.
• Interference with the attendee event experience
• Being in possession of forbidden items (see list of event’s Prohibited Items), outside alcohol, and/ or illegal substances within the event perimeter.
• Conduct that results in damage to the event venue or other real or personal property.

Attendees are expected to follow all safety instructions from event staff, law enforcement, and security personnel. Please report any concerns or suspicious activity immediately. Violating this Code of Conduct may result in removal without refund and a ban prohibiting attendance at future events. Event organizers reserve the right to change this Code of Conduct at any time, so please check for updates before attending.

We hope you have an enjoyable and memorable event experience. Thank you for doing your part to support a positive & safe environment for everyone!

Thank you for your interest in participating in the 2025 Jacksonville Jazz Festival! The application submission period for performer consideration closed at 11:59pm on February 6, 2025. Performers or alternates will not be considered for the 2025 Jacksonville Jazz Festival if they did not complete the application during the scheduled entry period. Admissions will not be accepted after the entry period has closed. Performers will not be accepted for consideration via email, social media, phone, mail or in-person.

Please note: To receive email notification of future Jacksonville Jazz Festival performer application availability, please CLICK HERE to sign up.

Thank you for your interest in becoming one of our Jacksonville Jazz Festival vendors! Unfortunately, our applications have already closed and we are not accepting any additional vendors for the 2025 festival.

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The application submission period for Food and Beverage Vendors closed at 11:59 p.m. on March 4, 2025. Vendor selection notification begins March 14.

The application submission period for the Jazz Marketplace closed at 11:59pm on March 21, 2025. Marketplace vendor selection notifications will begin April 4th.

PLEASE NOTE: Once applications close, no additional vendors are accepted for consideration. Completing any application for the City of Jacksonville Office of Sports & Entertainment does not guarantee acceptance into this year’s event. Selected vendors are required to meet the guidelines of the City of Jacksonville Office of Sports & Entertainment.

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HOW TO GET NOTIFIED IN THE FUTURE: Food vendors and Marketplace vendors will not receive the same emails. To ensure you receive relevant updates and opportunities, please select the correct email notification list:

• If you are interested in becoming a vendor within the Jazz Marketplace, please CLICK HERE to receive email notifications for future opportunities.
• If you are interested in becoming a Food Vendor at one of the many events produced by the City of Jacksonville's Office of Sports and Entertainment, including the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, please CLICK HERE to receive email notifications for future opportunities.

Thank you for your interest in becoming a sponsor for the Jacksonville Jazz Festival. For available opportunities, please email JaxJazzFest@coj.net.

Thank you for your interest in covering the 2025 Jacksonville Jazz Festival! Please visit the Get Involved page for Media Credential requirements, guidelines and information on applying.

The application submission deadline is 11:59pm on April 30, 2025.

For additional assistance and information, please email us at JaxJazzFest@coj.net.

The festival is a rain or shine event. In the event that there is inclement weather, as determined by the festival’s Emergency Operations Command, there is a chance that performances will be rescheduled or cancelled. The safety of all event attendees and performers will remain our number one priority.

We’re glad to know you love our commemorative posters just as much as we do! The 2025 commemorative poster designed by Stin Hrycajkiw is available for pre-order now from the Official Jacksonville Jazz Festival Store.

Visit the Commemorative Poster page to check out her awesome design featuring the iconic Gatorland Gator statue, currently residing in Met Park.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering! Please register to volunteer for this year’s Jacksonville Jazz Festival at https://cityofjacksonville.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/ and if you have any questions, please email us at JaxJazzFest@coj.net.