John Legend, Janelle Monae & More

The first wave of performers for the inaugural L.A. Jazz Festival is now available. John Legend, Janelle Monáe, Parliament Funkadelic featuring George Clinton, Raphael Saadiq and Charlie Wilson are among the artists who will hit the stage for the fest’s Jazz on the Beach closing weekend Aug. 22 and 23. Additional performers announced for that weekend include the Free Nationals & Friends, Big Freedia, Original Koffee, Joey Alexander and Ezra Collective.

Kicking off Aug. 7, the L.A. Jazz Festival is a 17-day experience showcasing artists from more than 13 nations performing in locations across Los Angeles. Organizers are looking to attract 250,000 attendees during the festival’s run. As noted in the press announcement, the L.A. Jazz Festival “will be a landmark cultural and civic event that will make ‘all of L.A. the stage,’ aiming to become the third-largest international jazz festival in the world and the largest Black-owned jazz festival ever.”

In his statement, L.A. Jazz Festival founder and CEO Martin Ludlow said, “From the Motherland and through the pain of oppression came the fierce improvisation, the very heartbeat, born in New Orleans that now shapes every musical genre across the globe.”

Opening night festivities will feature Lalah Hathaway and Chief Adjuah, with additional performers to be announced. Among the other musical components comprising the festival are 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 in clubs, restaurants and other locales; and the State of Jazz Conference.

The festival’s Jazz on the Beach closing weekend on L.A.’s Dockweiler Beach will also offer special performances and exclusive collaborations such as Michelle Coltrane Celebrates the Coltrane Centennial, as well as an appearance by the L.A. Jazz Festival Foundation Youth Band. Additional performers for that weekend and lineups for other L.A. Jazz Festival events will be revealed in the coming weeks.

StubHub is also being announced as the official ticket marketplace of the L.A. Jazz Festive. Airbnb was earlier announced as the event’s inaugural title sponsor. Tickets for Jazz on the Beach for Aug. 22 and 23 are now on sale via the festival’s website.