JAZZ ON THE BEACH to Headline LA Jazz Festival's Updated 2026 Schedule
Free concerts at Edward Vincent Jr. Park and Magic Johnson Park precede the festival's Dockweiler Beach finale.
The LA Jazz Festival has released an updated schedule for its inaugural 2026 event, outlining a lineup of free community concerts leading into a two-night JAZZ ON THE BEACH weekend at Dockweiler Beach. Organizers said the festival will open with a free ticketed event at Edward Vincent Jr. Park in Inglewood, followed by additional free performances at Magic Johnson Park and Harold & Belle's restaurant, before culminating with performances by John Legend, Janelle Monáe, PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC featuring George Clinton, Original Koffee, Raphael Saadiq and Charlie Wilson, among others.
The festival will kick off with a free ticketed Opening Day on Saturday, August 8 at Edward Vincent Jr. Park in Inglewood and culminate with a two-night Jazz on the Beach event at Dockweiler Beach on August 22 and 23, as well as a free multi-week youth camp and partnerships with local restaurants.
'The energy and anticipation that has been building for this inaugural LA Jazz Festival has been beyond exciting. With the goal of making every facet of the festival the ultimate fan experience, we are consolidating several of our activities leading up to our crown jewel event, the Jazz on the Beach concert weekend,' said LA Jazz Festival Founder and CEO Martin Ludlow.
The updated festival elements include
Free Tickets to Festival Events: Opening Day will kick off Jazz in the Park on Saturday, August 8 for a free afternoon of jazz at Edward Vincent Jr. Park in Inglewood. An additional free Jazz in the Park concert will take place on Sunday, August 16 at Magic Johnson Park.
Jazz After Dark will bring an evening of free live jazz to Harold & Belle's, the iconic New Orleans-style restaurant, the evening of Thursday, August 20.
Jazz on the Beach at Dockweiler Beach will feature performances by Joey Alexander, Big Freedia, Ezra Collective, Free Nationals & Friends, Nubya Garcia, John Legend, LA Jazz Festival All Star Band, Terrace Martin, Pedrito Martínez, Janelle Monáe, Original Koffee, Parliament Funkadelic featuring George Clinton, Alfredo Rodríguez, Raphael Saadiq, Poncho Sanchez, Justin Lee Schultz and Charlie Wilson. The weekend will also include special performances and exclusive collaborations, including 'Michelle Coltrane Celebrates the Coltrane Centennial,' as well as an appearance by the LA Jazz Festival Foundation Youth All Stars.
Jazz Youth Camp will bring students from across Los Angeles County into the heart of the festival with workshops and masterclasses.
For more information and tickets for Jazz on the Beach, visit LAJazzFestival.com.
About the Los Angeles Jazz Festival
The Los Angeles Jazz Festival is a forthcoming landmark cultural and civic event, positioning itself to become the third-largest international jazz festival in the world. Founded and created by Martin Ludlow, the festival is a massive, multi-faceted cultural and tourism-based event designed to celebrate jazz, drive significant regional economic activity, and uplift minority- and women-owned businesses, all with a core commitment to social justice and environmental responsibility.
The festival also plans to run a free multi-week Jazz Youth Camp for students across Los Angeles County, alongside partnerships with local restaurants, as part of its broader mission to combine cultural programming with community and economic initiatives.