Carolina Jazz Festival
The Carolina Jazz Festival at UNC-Chapel Hill has run since 1977 and pairs guest-artist concerts with a regional high school jazz competition.
- City
- Chapel Hill
- Where
- Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- When
- Late February
- Since
- 1977
The festival was established in 1977 by Jim Ketch, now emeritus professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is run by the UNC Department of Music, currently directed by Dr. Stephen Anderson. Concerts and clinics are held at Moeser Auditorium on campus and at the Sharp 9 Gallery in nearby Durham. The 2027 edition, the fiftieth, runs February 25 to 27.
Each year the festival brings in guest artists who perform with UNC faculty and student ensembles and give clinics; the 2027 guests are saxophonist Ivan Renta, percussionists Carly Maldonado and Juan Álamo, bassist Ramón Vázquez, and Ketch himself on trumpet. The Saturday is given over to the North Carolina Regional Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Festival, held alongside the main program for its twenty-first year in 2027, which makes the weekend a fixture for school jazz bands across the state.
No shows in our listings yet
We don't have any Carolina Jazz Fest shows in our listings yet (its program is usually announced shortly before each edition). In the meantime, explore all our live jazz shows.
Where to stay for Carolina Jazz Fest
Hotels and apartments around Chapel Hill. Prices shown are for one night; you can widen the dates on the map.
Frequently asked questions
- When does Carolina Jazz Fest take place?
- Carolina Jazz Fest takes place in Chapel Hill in late february, and has been running since 1977. The exact dates for each edition can vary, so it's worth confirming them on the official website.
- Where is Carolina Jazz Fest held?
- It takes place in Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, North Carolina).
- How do I follow the program and get tickets?
- At Jazz Live US we publish its shows in our Calendar listings as they are confirmed, and for the full line-up and tickets you can check the festival's official website. If you join Jazz Live US, we'll let you know when the line-up is announced.
The exact dates for each edition can vary. Check the festival's official website to confirm the line-up and tickets.