Hot Jazz Jubilee: Sacramento's Legendary End-of-Summer Jazz Celebration

The Hot Jazz Jubilee stands as Sacramento's premier jazz festival, celebrating its 11th annual edition on Labor Day Weekend (September 4-7, 2026) at the DoubleTree by Hilton. Beginning in 2013 in Rancho Cordova as a fun way to mark summer's end, the festival relocated to its current home in 2015 and has grown into a thriving community institution supporting youth music education.

Diverse Musical Programming

The 2026 festival features an eclectic mix of genres spanning jazz traditions to contemporary styles: New Orleans jazz, swing, Zydeco, western swing, blues, rock 'n' roll, and R&B. Featured performers and guest artists include trombonist Wycliffe Gordon (a founding member of Lincoln Center's Jazz Orchestra with Grammy-award credentials and fifteen-time Jazz Journalists Association "Trombonist of the Year"), Australian multi-instrumentalist Adrian Cunningham, special guest Meloney Collins, guitarist Nate Najar, pianist Jason Wanner, and blues band Kyle Rowland's Rumblin' and Tumblin'. Youth bands including the Syncopating Sea-Monkeys, Tower Bridge Trad, and TNT provide educational performance opportunities. Returning bands and new acts like Colorado's After Midnight ensure each year brings fresh diversity.

Venue & Atmosphere

The DoubleTree by Hilton provides four distinct music venues—three featuring large dance floors plus a free evening Cabaret at RJ's—allowing simultaneous performances and continuous entertainment. Music starts Friday, September 4 at 12:30 PM, with Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 AM and final performances at 9:30 PM each evening. Monday's closing ceremonies begin at 2 PM.

Tickets & Youth Mission

Early-bird pricing runs through June 30, 2026: four-day passes cost $165 (rising to $175 starting July 1), single-day passes range from $70-$90 depending on day. In keeping with the festival's mission to promote youth jazz education, children 12 and under are admitted free, and ages 13-20 enter free with student ID. The festival is an all-ages event, and attendees are encouraged to book hotel rooms early through the DoubleTree at discounted rates (code CDT-92D) as the festival typically sells out.

Community & Educational Mission

Hot Jazz Jubilee Inc. is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The festival's mission emphasizes producing an annual community event that promotes early jazz and other music genres to the public while using profits to provide scholarships and other educational opportunities for promising young musicians, working collaboratively with local and regional organizations.