The CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival in Rochester, New York, is one of the nation's leading jazz festivals. The festival is 9 days and held in the east end cultural district of downtown Rochester, New York. All venues are within walking distance. Enjoy free shows, our headliner series, and the unique Club Pass Series. 

June 23 - July 1, 2023 for 9 days! Shows start daily at 3:45PM and go through 11PM. Jam Sessions start nightly at the Hyatt Regency Rochester at 10:30PM.

The festival is held in 19 different venues in Downtown Rochester's East End Cultural District between East Ave and East Main Street centered on Gibbs Street and Parcel 5. You can walk to all venues! See Travel & Getting Around |  Read about the venues and get more details. 

Venues / Stages

It varies.

Headliner tickets at Eastman Theatre are priced individually. 

For free shows no tickets are required!

Club Pass Series shows – access with either a Club Pass or cash, $30/($35 Kilbourn Hall) at the door. No reserved seats.  Seating is first-come, first-served. 

See Tickets for more information.

The Festival's official Ticket / Information Shop Opens in June 12 at 100 East Avenue at the corner of Gibbs Street in Rochester, New York. 

Buy Club Passes, redeem Club Pass tickets for Passes, get information, and pick up brochures and maps.

Hours Pre Jazz Fest

• Monday, June 12 to Friday, June 16 12:00 Noon – 5:00 pm
• Closed Saturday, June 17 & Sunday, June 18
• Monday, June 19 to Thursday, June 22 Noon – 5 pm
• Redeem Club Pass Tickets For Passes Starting Monday, June 19, (Not Before)

Hours During Jazz Fest

• June 23 – Saturday, July 1 - 10:00 am – 9:00 pm Daily         

See Ticket Info for more information 

More than 1750 artists from around the world representing all aspects of creative improvised music. See the full schedule and Artist Lineup under RIJF 2023. 

Sign up for our email news to get notifications and early-bird Club Pass pricing. We DO NOT sell or share our mailing lists with anyone. 

The Club Pass is Hottest Ticket in American Jazz!!! We offer 3-day Club Passes and 9-Day Club Passes. It's a value pass that allows unlimited access to more than 192 sets of music for either any 3 days or all 9 nine days of the festival, June 23 - July 1, 2023, at 11 official Club Pass series venues on a first-come, first-served seating basis. Venues may fill to capacity prior to shows. To ensure a better chance of a seat, arrive early and wait in line. Doors open 30 minutes before each show. Passes are shareable and transferable. 

There are many surface lots and parking garages around the festival. See Travel/Getting Around for details on where to park. Please pay attention to the signage to be sure parking is allowed. The Festival is not responsible for cars damaged or towed. 

Restrooms are located inside every Club Pass venue. There are also portable bathrooms (including accessible) outside of the RIJF Big Big Tent, on Swan Street, alongside the Wegmans Pavilion, at Parcel 5 on the nights when there are shows and near other outdoor stages. 

Headliner Shows: If not sold out you can buy tickets online until showtime, on the RIJF Official App, and at the door at the Kopdak Hall Eastman Theatre oval lobby box office the day of the show only. Doors open 60 minutes prior to shows at Eastman Theatre. 

Club Pass Series Shows: No advance tickets are available for Club Pass shows. Entry is either with the Club Pass or $30 or $35 (Kilbourn Hall), cash only at the door, first-come, first-served entry seating for everyone. Shows sell out, so arrive early to avoid disappointment!  

Free Shows: No tickets are required for free shows. All shows rain or shine. 

Day passes are only available for sponsors and volunteers and are not for sale. You can still enter any Club Pass Series Show by paying the cover charge at the door, $30/35, first come, first served.

You can take pictures at any outdoor concert. But the use of cameras (still, video, cell phones) and recording devices are strictly prohibited at all indoor concerts. Photography is permitted only by credentialed photographers in designated areas. Concertgoers are asked to please abide by these guidelines out of respect for the artists and others in the audience. Anyone not abiding by these rules will be asked to leave the venue.

Children are welcome at outdoor free shows, and jazz workshops. 

• Shows on Jazz Street start at 3:45-4:00 daily with music that is appropriate for families including the best high school jazz bands from the region. 
• We also offer noon shows at the library that are free.
• Many families bring their children to jazz street for food, and free music. Headphones are highly recommended for loud outdoor shows.
• The Festival's outdoor shows are a great place to meet friends and learn about jazz!
• Club Pass shows are probably not appropriate for very young children if they are not able to sit through a concert. Young people with an interest in music who are experienced concert-goers are welcome. Tickets are required for children for all ticketed headliner shows at Eastman Theatre. Discounted Student 3-Day Club Passes are available to purchase in person at the Festival Ticket Shop for students 25 and under. A valid student ID is required.
• Music students of all ages can take advantage of our Jazz Workshops, sponsored by Wegmans. 

It depends on the show. To reduce wait times in two venues with the longest wait times, Kilbourn Hall, and Max of Eastman Place, we have a numbering system. See Save Time in Line System info here. Sometimes people line up two or more hours ahead of time. As we say, "Learn to love the line." Shows do sell out so if you want to get in, please stand in line and enjoy the company of other jazz fans. 

See lodging under our travel section. 

Everywhere! We have a range of food trucks and vendors; food is served at many Club Pass venues and there are lots of great restaurants in the festival area. 

If we could predict that we would probably be in another line of business. Rain or shine the festival is a great experience. Most venues are indoors so weather does not impact the concert schedule. All outdoor shows go on rain or shine unless there are severe weather conditions.

During the Festival - If you have already looked at the venue or location where you think you lost something, please go to the Ticket Shop at the corner of Gibbs Street & East Ave daily during the festival June 23 – Saturday, July 1 open from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily to see if the item has been turned in. Please print your name and cell number on your Club Pass so that you can be notified if it's lost and found.

After the Festival - anything unclaimed will be taken to the Festival Office. Email info@rochesterjazz.com or call (585) 454-2060.

 

Yes, just sign up for our free email newsletter and you'll get all the latest news. We do not share or sell subscriber lists to anyone. You can unsubscribe at any time. 

Yes for iPhone and Android. It's easy, free, plan your schedule, set reminders, get all the latest festival info anywhere, anytime! iPhone and Android downloads. 

Loaded with features to enhance your festival experience!

Download for iPhone

Download for Android Devices

• You’ll find the entire line-up and the schedule for the CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival 2022.
• Create and plan your own personal schedule and itinerary complete with alerts, maps, and travel times.
• See what’s playing now and starting soon.
• Browse all the shows and artists, read more about the musicians, visit their websites and listen to tracks.
• Stay in touch with the latest news and alerts and other important information on getting around the festival and how to maximize your festival experience.
• Get important details on venues, shuttle service, videos, and news releases. Connect with the Festival’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts to keep up with the latest posts.  
• Sign up for official festival alerts to get important timely messages.
• Never miss a show. Set alerts to upcoming events including how long it will take to get there.
• Easy search functions allow you to browse by date, venues, artists, and times. 
• Love a show?  Share your favorites with others.

Visit this page for how to apply. Thanks for your interest.

In order to be considered, you must send an Electronic Press Kit (EPK) between October 1 to November 15, 2022 to john@rochesterjazz.com. Due to the extremely high volume of submissions, suggestions, and requests, we are unable to acknowledge submissions via phone or email. If you submit an EPK, please do not contact the festival to ask about the status of the submission. We will make contact if you or your artist/group is chosen.  NO submissions are accepted through Facebook. Thanks for your interest in RIJF.

Contact Marc Iacona, Executive Director/Producer, marc@rochesterjazz.com 

See: Press Contacts, Advertising, Marketing: Dalmath Associates, Inc.  Amanda Antinore

Seniors: There are no discounts for seniors.

Students: We offer a Student 3-Day Club Pass at a reduced rate. It can be purchased in person only at the Ticket Shop during the festival. A valid student ID is required. 

We do offer more than 100 free shows including free headliner shows on major outdoor stages, and outstanding musicians performing at multiple venues. 

Starting Monday, June 19, no sooner, at our Ticket / Information Shop, at 100 East Avenue at the corner of Gibbs Street in Rochester, New York. Open Monday, June 19 to Thursday, June 22 from Noon to 5 p.m. and  June 23 to Saturday, July from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily.      

Buy Club Passes, redeem Club Pass tickets for Passes, get information, and pick up brochures and maps.

Pick up tickets ordered by phone or online at Will Call at Eastman Theatre one hour before the show starts in the Eastman Theatre lobby. Look for the Will Call Table.

Several streets are closed before during and after the Festival. See Travel for details. Arrive early to allow for traffic and to give yourself time to locate a parking spot. 

GIBBS STREET (From East Ave to E. Main) 

EAST AVE (From Scio to Chestnut-not to include Scio or Chestnut) Each Night 

MAIN STREET (From Chestnut to Scio-not to include Scio) Each Night 

PARCEL 5 SHOWS 

● CORTLAND (Elm to East Main) 

● ANDREW LANGSTON WAY (Elm to East Main) 3 - Midnight

● ELM (Clinton to Atlas) 3 - Midnight

● ATLAS (Euclid to Elm) 3 - Midnight

● EUCLID (Chestnut to Andrew Langston Way) 3 - Midnight

Yes, bike racks are conveniently located in the parking lot of the Rochester Regional Big Tent at the corner of Main and Chestnut.  Please lock your bike. The festival cannot be responsible for the theft of any personal property. 

Bike share is also available throughout the festival area.  See Travel / Getting Around 

The health and safety of our patrons, artists, team members, and vendors is our highest priority. We will closely monitor and abide by all local health guidelines recommended by the Monroe County Department of Public Health and New York State during the festival. 

Any guidelines in effect will be communicated via signage at the festival, on our website, on our festival app, and in our email newsletters. 

COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease that can be extremely dangerous to people of all ages, especially to those who are elderly and/or have compromised immune systems. If you are ill and have any symptoms, we ask that you please stay home to get well and follow your doctor’s recommendations. 

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we work together to create a safe and enjoyable festival experience for all. 

Any updates will be posted on the Health Guidelines page of this site. 

Yes! You are welcome to bring chairs to Jazz Street and any outdoor stage venue.  Some chairs are provided on Jazz Street, arrive early.