May 22, 2025
Mark Your Calendars for the Inaugural NoMad Jazz Festival
A Weekend of World-Class Music in NoMad, NYC
This August 9–10, something special is happening in Madison Square Park: the inaugural NoMad Jazz Festival. It’s two days of incredible music, community energy, and family-friendly programming – all free and open to the public.
Hosted by The NoMad Alliance, in partnership with The Jazz Gallery, Flatiron NoMad Partnership, and Madison Square Park Conservancy, with generous support from The Simons Foundation and The Howard Gilman Foundation, this new festival is ready to make its mark on New York City’s cultural calendar.
The Cultural Significant of the NoMad Jazz Festival
This event is not only a standout summer concert series, it’s a cultural community moment. The festival lands alongside the 30th anniversary of The Jazz Gallery, one of jazz’s most respected creative incubators. For three decades, The Jazz Gallery has been shaping the future of music by supporting emerging artists and groundbreaking collaborations.
Set in a neighborhood known for its deep musical past – NoMad’s Tin Pan Alley and the birth of the Great American Songbook were born just blocks away – the NoMad Jazz Festival brings jazz back to its historical stomping grounds. This is about honoring the roots, while spotlighting what’s next.
With a lineup curated by The Jazz Gallery, the festival brings together leading voices in contemporary jazz – from legends to rising innovators.
Festival Weekend Schedule & Artist Lineup
Saturday, August 9
Lizz Wright
A singer’s singer. With a voice like smoked velvet, Lizz Wright blurs the lines between gospel, jazz, soul, and folk. Her performances are as grounded as they are transcendent, delivering honest emotion with every note.
Roy Hargrove Big Band
Carrying forward the legacy of the late jazz icon Roy Hargrove, this powerhouse ensemble delivers tightly arranged, emotionally charged sets that blend swing with soul, funk, and hip-hop. A must-see tribute to a game-changing artist.
Michael Mayo
Michael Mayo doesn’t just sing – he builds soundscapes with his voice. Trained at the Monk Institute and shaped by collaboration with greats like Herbie Hancock, Mayo brings experimental edge and undeniable groove to the stage.
Dabin Ryu Trio
Known for her fluid command of the piano and sharp compositional instincts, Dabin Ryu leads her trio with poise and fire. Her work fuses deep knowledge of jazz history with modern sensibility – and just the right amount of surprise.
Sunday, August 10
Ravi Coltrane Quartet
Ravi Coltrane has carved out his own voice – bold, searching, and uncompromising. The son of John and Alice Coltrane, Ravi honors legacy while refusing to be confined by it. His quartet’s performances are always an exploration worth taking.
Arta Jēkabsone
This Latvian vocalist brings something rare to the mic: a mix of jazz intuition and Baltic soul. Her music draws from Latvian folk traditions, layered with improvisation and personal storytelling that feels both grounded and exploratory.
Caracas Trio
What happens when Afro-Venezuelan rhythms meet jazz improvisation? Caracas Trio. With piano, vibraphone, and percussion, they deliver rhythm-forward sets that are as joyful as they are intricate.
Melissa Almaguer
Not your typical tap artist. Melissa Almaguer blends movement, music, and ritual into one-of-a-kind performances. Her work challenges the line between sound and motion, creating pieces that are hypnotic, grounded, and emotionally raw.
NoMad Jazz Festival Week: August 3–8
The celebration kicks off early. From August 3 to 8, the NoMad and Flatiron neighborhoods will host live jazz, pop-up performances, and special offers from local businesses. Expect public spaces to come alive with sound and surprises, all leading up to the main event.
More to Come
This already-stacked lineup is just the beginning. More artists and events will be announced soon, so stay tuned as the inaugural NoMad Jazz Festival continues to grow. Visit www.nomadjazzfestival.com to sign up for updates and for the latest information.
There’s no place like NoMad. And there’s nothing like the NoMad Jazz Festival.