TD James Moody Jazz Festival
The TD James Moody Jazz Festival is New Jersey's largest annual gathering of jazz artists, presented by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark over roughly two and a half weeks each November.
- City
- Newark
- Where
- Newark, New Jersey
- When
- November
The festival is named for saxophonist and flutist James Moody (1925-2010), who spent his youth in Newark, and it is programmed with bassist Christian McBride as NJPAC's jazz advisor - a role he has held since the festival's early years. Rather than a single site, it runs as a series of concerts at NJPAC's halls at 1 Center Street plus other Newark venues including Clement's Place and Bethany Baptist Church.
Programming mixes world premieres, one-off collaborations and free community performances, with ticket prices running from free to around $79. The 2026 edition, the 15th, ran November 6-22 and included tributes to Miles Davis on his centennial, to Zakir Hussain, and to Moody himself by the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars.
No shows in our listings yet
We don't have any Moody Jazz Festival 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 Moody Jazz Festival
Hotels and apartments around Newark. Prices shown are for one night; you can widen the dates on the map.
Frequently asked questions
- When does Moody Jazz Festival take place?
- Moody Jazz Festival takes place in Newark in november. The exact dates for each edition can vary, so it's worth confirming them on the official website.
- Where is Moody Jazz Festival held?
- It takes place in Newark (Newark, New Jersey).
- 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.