The Atlanta Jazz Festival is moving from one holiday to another.

Typically held over Memorial Day weekend, this year’s event was postponed due to uncertainty about COVID-19 and limits on gatherings of large crowds.

But the annual free music fest – the 43rd installment – will take place at Piedmont Park during Labor Day weekend, Sept. 5-6.

The lineup of more than 15 artists is primarily the same as the one announced for 2020 (and, naturally, canceled), featuring veterans such as Patti Austin and Archie Shepp and burgeoning talent Brenda Nicole Moorer.

Performances will be staged at two locations - the Oak Hill Stage and the Meadow Stage. A VIP experience will be available at the Oak Hill Stage. Details will be announced soon.

Festival organizers announced that the event will follow all COVID-19 guidelines as determined by the state and City of Atlanta and will provide updates closer to Labor Day weekend on the atlantafestivals.com website.

This year’s music celebration will also feature an educational component - a set of free workshops dubbed “Jazz 101” that will be held throughout the event.

Leading up to the fall gathering, a free video series called “In the Tradition” will air on atlantafestivals.com and the Jazz Festival Facebook and YouTube pages on select Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. through Aug. 31.

Fans can also purchase official Atlanta Jazz Festival merchandise beginning June 4 at shop.atlantafestivals.com.

The Complete Lineup for the 2021 Festival includes:

Sunday, September 5, 2021

Oak Hill Stage

1:30 p.m. – Pasquale Grasso Trio

3:30 p.m. - Yuko Mabuchi

5:30 p.m. - Alexey Marti

7:30 p.m. - Miguel Zenon

Meadow Stage

1 p.m. - Karla Harris

3 p.m. - Ryan Kilgore

5 p.m. – Jazzmeia Horn

7 p.m. - Ron Carter

9 p.m. - Patti Austin

Monday, September 6, 2021

Oak Hill Stage

1:30 p.m. - Brenda Nicole Moorer

3:30 p.m. - Logan Richardson

5:30 p.m. – Irreversible Entanglements

7:30 p.m. - Mike Phillips

Meadow Stage

1 p.m. - Isaiah Sharkey

3 p.m. - Laurin Talese

5 p.m. - Theo Croker

7 p.m. – Sean Jones

9 p.m. – Archie Shepp

About the Author

Keep Reading

Usher came by the Braves-Mets game to celebrate his bobblehead and throw out a first pitch as well as ceremonially "open the gates" to fans on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (Braves, AJC)

Credit: ATLANTA BRAVES, RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com

Featured

Mario Guevara, a metro Atlanta-based Spanish-language reporter, covers a protest against immigration enforcement on Feb. 1, 2025, on Buford Highway. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: AP