ANNUAL SUNCOAST JAZZ FESTIVAL RETURNS NOV. 21-23 INSIDE CLEARWATER’S SHERATON SAND KEY RESORT
2025 HEADLINERS TUBA SKINNY, WYCLIFFE GORDON, DIEGO FIGUEIREDO, KEN PEPLOWSKI AND JASON MARSALIS JOIN OVER 80 MUSICIANS
The 35th Annual Suncoast Jazz Festival returns to Clearwater, at the Sheraton on Sand Key, Nov. 21-23.
Music fans can spend each day or check in for the entire weekend to enjoy live performances, a gala dinner and dancing, parasol parade and a Swing Dance party. Over 80 musicians will perform on three stages – day and night – inside the Sheraton Sand Key Resort, which sits directly on the Gulf. The festival offers jazz for all ages, from headliners and national acts to the best talent around the state including local youth jazz bands.
Entertainment options include Big Easy-flavored early jazz, American Songbook, Modern Acoustic Jazz, Swing, Brazilian, Blues, and even a touch of Rockabilly and Gospel.
To celebrate the 35th year, festival director Joan Dragon has excitedly announced a dynamic lineup of world-class artists, including for the first time, renowned New Orleans early jazz band, Tuba Skinny. From his early days busking on the streets of New Orleans, the band has developed an enthusiastic world-wide following, playing a unique blend of traditional jazz, ragtime, jug music, early blues and more. “When this festival started in 1990. we focused a lot on early jazz, so Tuba Skinny will help celebrate our roots as a traditional jazz gathering,” said Dragon.
Other headliners include trombone sensation Wycliffe Gordon, Grammy-nominated Brazilian guitar virtuoso Diego Figueiredo, world-renowned clarinet/sax player Ken Peplowski, and New Orleans vibraphonist Jason Marsalis. Music fans will also find lots of returning fan favorites, including two show-stopping crowd-pleasers Adrian Cunningham and Dave Bennett.
The festival offers jazz for all ages, featuring a slate of internationally known headline acts who will be playing alongside the largest group of Florida-based jazz musicians ever assembled. Plus, they will once again host a salute to local youth jazz bands with a student musician competition and several youth activities.
TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE: www.suncoastjazzfestival.com
A variety of admission tickets are available ranging from $50 up to $300 for three days of non-stop music. Students with a valid ID (high school and college) are allowed into the Suncoast Jazz Festival free of charge.
Early bird 3-day ticket buyers will enjoy special pricing of $275 for a limited time. Call 727-248-9441. The early bird ticket is an option on Eventbrite. No need to call for that ticket.
The Suncoast Jazz Festival operates under the name Suncoast Classic Jazz Inc., a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to preserving and promoting jazz, one of the great American art forms, and offers an indoor, intimate setting held inside venues with nearby lodging overlooking the Gulf.
HEADLINERS
- Tuba Skinny
- Wycliffe Gordon
- Diego Figueiredo
- Ken Peplowski
- Jason Marsalis
- National Acts
- Adrian Cunningham (Professor Cunningham and His Old School)
- Dave Bennett Quartet
- Chuck Redd
- Ehud Asherie
- Jonathan Russell
- St. Louis Stompers
- Tom Rigney and Flambeau
- Florida Musicians
- James Suggs
- La Lucha
- Nata Najar
- Daniela Soledade
- Simon Lasky Trio
- Bryan J Hughes and The Crew
- Al Downing All-Stars
- The Legendary John Lamb
- Heather Thorn
- Eddie Metz
- Paul Wilborn and Eugenie Bondurant
- Theo Valentin
- Don Mopsick
- Joe Porter
- Carl Amundson
- The Jazz Phools
- Pepper
- Bob Price
- Bakey and Betty
- Zorch’s Allstars
- Naples Jazzmasters