SFJAZZ to Participate in 68th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival
The festival will run from September 26-28.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jul. 07, 2025
SFJAZZ will participate in the 68th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival, taking place September 26–28, 2025. The dedicated stage—Pacific Jazz Café Presented by SFJAZZ—will feature a dynamic lineup that highlights the spirit of innovation, collaboration, and artistic excellence that defines the Bay Area’s premier jazz institution.
"I’m thrilled to see SFJAZZ bringing its spirit and vision to the Monterey Jazz Festival,” said SFJAZZ Executive Artistic Director Terence Blanchard. “This collaboration is a powerful reminder of how our jazz community continues to grow, connect, and inspire across generations."
The lineup for the Pacific Jazz Café Presented by SFJAZZ stage includes:
Friday, September 26
4:30 p.m. — Caity Gyorgy Quartet
6 p.m. — Alfredo Rodríguez Trio
7:30 p.m. — Tyreek McDole Quintet
9 p.m. — Benny Green
Saturday, September 27
12 p.m. — Christian McBride: The Monterey Jazz Conversation, hosted by Ashley Kahn
1:45 p.m. — Ekep Nkwelle Quartet
3:30 p.m. — Christian Sands
5:15 p.m. — Camille Thurman & the Darrell Green Quartet
7 p.m. — Brandon Woody's Upendo
8:30 p.m. — Sullivan Fortner Trio
Sunday, September 28
12 p.m. — Cuba, Ahora! Yilian, Jorge and Dayramir, hosted by Ashley Kahn
1:30 p.m. — Olatuja
3 p.m. — Jorge Luis Pacheco Trio
4:30 p.m. — Yilian Cañizares
6 p.m. — Dayramir González Quartet
7:30 p.m. — New Jazz Underground
Founded in 1958, the Monterey Jazz Festival is the longest continuously running jazz festival in the world and a cornerstone of American music culture. Held each September on the 20-acre, oak-studded Monterey County Fairgrounds, the festival has hosted legendary artists including Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, and Herbie Hancock, while continuing to spotlight emerging voices shaping the future of jazz.
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