Detroit Jazz Festival
The Detroit Jazz Festival’s virtual format will include 8-10 hours per day of live, continuous jazz performances. Each stage will mimic the size, sound, lighting, crew and gear of the festival’s traditional stages.
The Detroit Jazz Festival, which takes each year over Labor Day weekend, will shift to a virtual format this year as concerns about the spread of COVID-19 persist.
Set for Sept. 4-7, the 2020 Detroit Jazz Festival presented by Rocket Mortgage will showcase primarily Detroit area artists and be streamed and broadcast live from indoor sound stages at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center.
Performances will be closed to the public but available at no charge to viewers and listeners through the city of Detroit’s arts and entertainment channel 22, Detroit Public Television, WRCJ 90.9 FM, WDET 101.9 FM, the Detroit Jazz Festival website and the DetroitJazzFest LIVE! app.
The programming will primarily showcase Detroit area artists, with call for open submissions for local jazz artists through July 15 on the festival’s website.
The festival will include opening night performances followed by 8-10 hours per day of live, continuous jazz performances. Each stage will mimic the size, sound, lighting, crew and gear of the festival’s traditional stages.
“The Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation is taking health and safety and the use of technology to a new level of excellence this year,” said Chris Collins, president and artistic director of the Detroit Jazz Festival, in a news release.
“After much consideration, it was decided to create a virtual performance environment that will duplicate the ‘live’ performance experience.”
The festival is one of Detroit’s most popular events, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said in a news release.
“We’re thrilled to know that this 41-year tradition will continue this summer — safely and with a spotlight on our world-class local artists.”
The city’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship is joining the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation this year in issuing a call for Detroit artists to create a poster for the jazz fest.
The selected artist will receive a commission fee, media and public recognition at the 2020 festival and join the diverse collection of global artists who have created 40 years of posters.
The Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation said it will donate all proceeds from the sales of this year’s poster to the Detroit Arts Fund, established by the city’s ACE office to support arts and culture in the city.