CHICAGO — The Chicago Jazz Festival returns to Millennium Park and the Chicago Cultural Center from August 28–31, 2025, offering four days of free performances celebrating both legendary and rising jazz talent.

Organized by the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and programmed by the Jazz Institute of Chicago, the annual event remains one of the largest and longest-running free jazz festivals in the world. This year’s lineup spans a wide range of jazz styles and includes internationally acclaimed artists and local favorites.

Key headliners include esperanza spalding, Monty Alexander, Kermit Ruffins, and Gary Bartz & NTU Troop. Other performers across the four-day event include Henry Johnson, Patricia Barber, Sarah Marie Young, Ava Logan Quintet, Ernest Dawkins Ensemble, and Eliades Ochoa.

The festival will kick off on Thursday, August 28, with performances by Henry Johnson and esperanza spalding. Programming continues through Sunday, August 31, culminating in sets from Ari Brown Quintet and Eliades Ochoa.

The main venue, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, will host evening performances, while daytime sets and additional programming will take place at the Chicago Cultural Center.

Admission is free to the public, with guests encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs for the Great Lawn area. Folding chairs are not allowed in the pavilion seating area. While outside food is permitted, outside alcohol is prohibited. Concessions and alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase on-site.

Millennium Park is fully accessible, offering assistive services such as American Sign Language interpretation, assistive listening devices, and wheelchair access. The location is accessible by public transportation, and parking garages are available nearby.