One of Telluride’s longest standing traditions is getting a facelift! The Telluride Jazz Festival returns for the 41^st year with new producers SBG Productions, bringing a new and improved festival experience. With a fresh lineup, new VIP options, streamlined production and interactive festival events, 2017 is set to be a great year.

With a maximum of 3,000 attendees per day, the Telluride Jazz Festival is a great way to get the full Telluride festival experience with plenty of breathing room. Take a look at what to expect this August 4-6 at the Telluride Jazz Festival.

The New Look Lineup

This year’s lineup highlights world-class jazz, soul and funk acts featuring the legendary Mavis Staples, Grammy Award winning Macy Gray, funky Meters with special guest Dr. John, soulful Lee Fields & The Expressions, rising jazz stars Miles Mosley + The West Coast Get Down, The Suffers, FatsO, Vaud And The Villains, Davina and the Vagabonds, Ranky Tanky, Cha-Wa Mardi Gras Indian Band, The Bob Montgomery/Josh Quinlan Sextet and The McCarthy Trio along with seven student bands. Explore the complete lineup 

New Passes & Experiences

By introducing an enhanced fleet of pass options, there is a new Telluride Jazz Festival experience for everyone, from luxurious to simple.

The Patron Experience Pass: The most premiere-level pass, Patron Experience, features a one-of-a-kind, on-stage seated viewing area and a full stage-side hosted bar along with backstage access to an exclusive Patron Area serving catered meals throughout the weekend. In addition Patron Pass holders can enjoy a private opening concert with Macy Gray, meet and greets with Jazz artists, private off-site Jazz brunch, an open bar all weekend long showcasing the best in craft beer, select wine and specialty cocktails, entry to “Jazz After Dark” on both Friday and Saturday nights, access to the Patron/VIP Area inside the Festival, seated viewing area in front of the Main Stage and much more. A portion of each Patron Pass, $400, includes a tax-deductible charitable donation to the Telluride Society for Jazz.

VIP Experience Pass: New for 2017, the Telluride Jazz Festival added a VIP Experience to the list of Festival pass options. The VIP Experience shares some of the same benefits as the Patron Experience but not quite as extensive. VIP festival-goers will be treated to an open bar throughout the festival, an exclusive Patron/VIP area inside the Festival grounds with yard games, fire pits and a covered, heated lounge with unobstructed stage views, unobstructed seating in front of the Main Stage, priority check-in at the box office, priority festival entry, up-scale restrooms and more.

‘All That Jazz’ Pass: Back with a new name, "All That Jazz" allows entry into the Festival all three days and entry into all "Jazz After Dark" venues on both Friday and Saturday nights. These passes are available in both VIP Experience and General Admission Options. Explore all of the Telluride Jazz Pass Options.

Revamped Late Night Show Format

After the festival ends in Town Park on Friday and Saturday (August 4 & 5), the music continues into the night at “Jazz After Dark” shows located around town in Telluride's best indoor nightclubs and historic venues. Here, you can catch your choice of acts in an intimate, up close and personal setting. The new Jazz After Dark passes allow attendees to visit all three of the Jazz After Dark late night venues freely, rather than purchasing individual tickets on a show-by-show basis. Additionally, free late night jams, “Liberty Sessions”, take place on Friday and Saturday nights. A special closing show on Sunday has also been added to the late night mix at the Sheridan Opera House, “The Final Waltz” with Vaud And The Villains. View the full Late Night Schedule.

New Events

To complement the lineup, the festival has a fleet of special events scheduled throughout the weekend. The weekend opens with the Jazz Art Walk featuring an evening of live music at local galleries. Inside the festival grounds, two complimentary tastings, “Wine & Whiskey” and Bubbles & Bloodies”, feature craft distilleries and wineries to open and close the weekend. The festival also features a New Orleans 2nd Line Parade down Main Street, a Historical Walking Tour hosted by the Telluride Historical Museum, and free “First Note” Yoga Sessions. Check out all of the Telluride Jazz Festival Events. 

Commitment to Education & Outreach

The Telluride Jazz Festival is produced in collaboration with the Telluride Society for Jazz in an effort to preserve the genre by educating youth and providing community outreach. This year the Telluride Jazz Festival will provide free and interactive programming on the “Society Stage” at Elks Park for festival attendees, community members and locals to enjoy. The festival will also produce two youth jazz camps, The Telluride Student All-Stars Ensemble and The Telluride Jazz Adventure Academy.

The Telluride All Stars Ensemble:The Telluride Student All-Stars Ensemble is the festival's flagship educational scholarship program. Dedicated jazz students are invited to send audition recordings of their musical skills to program directors Prof. Bob Montgomery and Josh Quinlan. These esteemed jazz performance educators accept elite musicians to travel to Telluride the week preceding the festival to work on compositions, study music together and perform at the festival.

The Telluride Jazz Adventure Academy: The Telluride Jazz Festival teamed up with Caleb Chapman's Soundhouse and Telluride Academy to offer a week-long music education and outdoor adventure academy for students leading up to the festival. The new Telluride Jazz Adventure Academy will give students the opportunity to learn new music skills, collaborate with peers, perform on stage during the Festival and experience outdoor adventure in the beautiful San Juan Mountains.

Learn more about education and outreach.

Purchase tickets for the Telluride Jazz Festival and enjoy one of the most intimate music festivals in the mountains.