North Carolina Jazz Festival - Wilmington NC

February 6-8 2025 Wilmington gives a warm welcome to all of the jazz lovers attending our 45th Annual North Carolina Jazz Festival!  This historic city located on the bank of the Cape Fear River has many interesting shops, art galleries, museums and restaurants, as well as a movie studio, nearby beaches, plus Revolutionary and Civil War sites to explore during your days here. We will fill your evenings with exciting performances by some of the greatest traditional jazz musicians from around the globe!

All concerts begin at 7:30 PM and are held at the Hotel Ballast ballroom.

Thursday Night Showcase
Gregg Gelb will headline the opening night’s Special Event



Gelb is a saxophonist, clarinetist, band leader, arranger, composer, and educator. He is director of the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble, founder and director of the Heart of Carolina Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Society, and co-founder and player with the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra.

View Full Bio

Friday and Saturday Nights
We will continue our celebration with All-Star musicians playing in the traditional seven sets of six or seven players, each set with a different leader. You will hear many of our favorite NCJF musicians plus new additions to our lineup. You will not want to miss this exciting 45th Annual North Carolina Jazz Festival! These will be 4 ½ hour concerts.

Featured Artist - Jay DeChesere

Artist Jay DeChesere has always been inspired by the symbiotic interactions between jazz musicians. After attending an outdoor concert, he was inspired to create a composition for the 2025 NCJF that represented the feelings conveyed by their expressions, their connection with their instruments, and interactions with each other--all part of the language that made the experience so enjoyable.

Hotel Ballast, Tapestry Collection By Hilton
HOTEL BALLAST is home of the North Carolina Jazz Festival @ Wilmington. Special room rates for festival goers to be determined. Reservations must be made by December 31st, 2024 to receive this rate. For hotel reservations please call 910-763-5900 Special thanks for the hospitality shown to all attendees and musicians!!