Atlanta Jazz Festival

Every Memorial Day weekend the Atlanta Jazz Festival turns the city’s 200‑acre greensward into an open‑air concert hall!

What began in 1978, when visionary mayor Maynard Jackson declared that “jazz should belong to everyone,” has matured into one of the largest free jazz festivals in the United States, drawing more than a quarter‑million listeners while keeping admission at precisely zero dollars.

Setting the stage - Piedmont Park and “31 Days of Jazz”

The festival’s epicentre is Piedmont Park (400 Park Dr. NE), a pastoral rectangle framed by Midtown’s glass spires and the emerald canopy of old oaks. But the music actually begins on 1 May, when the city’s Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs launches “31 Days of Jazz,” scattering pop‑up shows through neighbourhood parks, MARTA stations, breweries and museums until the big weekend arrives.

2025 festival

Date	First downbeat	Headliners	Last note
Sat 24 May	1 p.m.	Khari Cabral • Takuya Kuroda • Marsha Ambrosius	≈10 p.m.—Derrick Hodge
Sun 25 May	1 p.m.	Kenny Banks Jr. • Ravi Coltrane • Russell Gunn & Blackhawk Quartet	≈10 p.m.
Mon 26 May	1 p.m.	Charles McPherson • Dianne Reeves • Joe Gransden Big Band	≈10 p.m.

Two stages alternate sets so the music never stops, meanwhile a Kids Zone doles out instrument petting zoos and book giveaways, and the fenced‑in Jazz Spot has reserved tents, craft cocktails and a clean sight‑line for those who like their swing with a side of shade.

How to jazz like a local

• Arrive car‑light – The MARTA Arts Center and Midtown rail stations sit a 15‑minute stroll away. Bike in and valet for free, or rideshare to a dedicated drop‑off on 12th Street. Parking around the park is scarce and ticket‑happy.

• Pack a blanket, not a grill – City rules forbid open flames, glass, pets and staked tents, but encourage low‑profile chairs, umbrellas and generous spreads of pimento‑cheese sandwiches. Security will check bags at all entrances.

• Hydrate and wander – Vendor rows along Oak Hill peddle everything from jerk chicken to vegan arepas; craft‑beer gardens pop up near Park Tavern; water‑refill stations are behind the Meadow stage.

Getting There

Are you an Irish jazz fan? The journey to Atlanta is pleasingly direct!

Start with an Aer Lingus departure from Dublin or Shannon, where you clear U.S. immigration in Terminal 2’s pre‑clearance hall before you even see the runway, so you land in Georgia as a domestic traveller.

The flight carries you to New York‑JFK, Boston or Chicago, from there a single‑ticket codeshare with partner American Airlines completes the short hop to Hartsfield‑Jackson, and AerClub members keep racking up Avios thanks to the Atlantic Joint Business tie‑in.