Mary J. Blige, Maxwell, Kamasi Washington, Joe Bonamassa & Metropole Orkest and Branford Marsalis at NN North Sea Jazz Festival 2025

The first artists for NN North Sea Jazz 2025 on 11, 12 and 13 July in Ahoy have been announced. They include Mary J. Blige, Maxwell, Kamasi Washington, Joe Bonamassa & Metropole Orkest and Branford Marsalis. As well as Rotterdam-based R&B talent Naomi Sharon. Ticket sales for single day tickets start Saturday 1 February at 10am via this link.

Jacob Collier fulfils the role of Artist in Residence this year. The singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and arranger grew up under the wings of Quincy Jones and became a crowd-pleaser with his inventive music. Also performing are Jorja Smith, Ezra Collective, Jonathan Jeremiah, Lady Blackbird, Omah Lay, DeWolff, Jordan Rakei, Thee Sacred Souls, Samara Joy, trumpeter Avishai Cohen, Immanuel Wilkins, Julian Lage and Tigran Hamasyan.

As always, the festival also presents a number of special jazz projects: for instance, vibraphonist Jason Marsalis fills the role of the legendary bandleader in the Lionel Hampton Big Band, which further consists of musicians who played with Hampton himself, and jazz vocalist Kurt Elling pays tribute to Weather Report with Yellowjackets.

For the first time, world-renowned sitar player Anoushka Shankar will visit the festival. Other newcomers include poet and committed vocalist Aja Monet, talented Japanese keyboardist/singer Fujii Kaze and funk band Ghost-Note.

More than jazz

For its 48th edition, the NN North Sea Jazz Festival offers over 150 performances by more than 1,500 artists in total over three days on 17 stages, showcasing the past, present and future of jazz and related genres. In addition, there are workshops, interviews and signing sessions by and with artists, showcases of unknown talent, various art exhibitions, a varied range of catering, shops and much more to enjoy.

The programme so far is

Friday 11 July: Avishai Cohen (trumpet) Quartet, Branford Marsalis Quartet, DeWolff, Ezra Collective, Jacob Collier (Artist in Residence), Jordan Rakei, Judith Hill, Julian Lage, Madeleine Peyroux, Mary J. Blige, Omah Lay, Victor Ray

Saturday 12 July: Aja Monet, Fujii Kaze, Ghost-Note, Jacob Collier (Artist in Residence), Joe Bonamassa & Metropole Orkest, Jonathan Jeremiah, Lionel Hampton Big Band featuring Jason Marsalis, Mary Halvorson Amaryllis Sextet, Maxwell, Naomi Sharon, Samara Joy

Sunday 13 July: Anoushka Shankar, Immanuel Wilkins Quartet, Jacob Collier (Artist in Residence), Jazzmeia Horn, Jorja Smith, Kamasi Washington, Kurt Elling & Yellowjackets celebrate Weather Report, Lady Blackbird, Lakecia Benjamin, Thee Sacred Souls, Tigran Hamasyan

More names to be announced at a later date