Welcome to the show! The official Program Guide for the 2021 Telluride Jazz Festival is here! Explore all the information you need to enjoy this year's festival right here inside this comprehensive guide.
The 2021 Festival Program Guide Is Here
Explore The 2021 Patron Experience
Styled out for the 44th year, the Patron Experience is by far the most luxurious way to attend the Telluride Jazz Festival. Featuring a private opening concert with The Hot Sardines at the Sheridan Opera House, an on-stage seated viewing area, catered meals with the artists backstage and much more, Patron pass-holders will be treated to a weekend of world-class music, decadent food and drinks all surrounded by the unparalleled views of Telluride Town Park. Putting an emphasis on high quality, locally-sourced and fresh ingredients, this year's Patron Experience features an eclectic food menu served in a cozy, covered Patron Lounge located backstage at the festival.
The 2021 Wine List At The Festival
With the final additions and finishing touches, we are excited to present the complete list of wine at the 2021 Telluride Jazz Festival. From full-bodied reds with bold flavors to dry, zesty whites with a smooth finish, the 2021 wine list has something for every kind of wine enthusiast. Explore the list below!
2021 Opening Concert With The Hot Sardines
Distinguished in mountain festival luxury, the Telluride Jazz Festival features a special opening concert with The Hot Sardines at the historic Sheridan Opera House on Thursday, August 12, 2021. In previous years, this opening concert was reserved exclusively for Patron pass-holders but this year, we are opening up the experience so that everyone can participate and kick off the festival in style. Join us for what is sure to be an unforgettable performance and a show that you won’t want to miss. Tickets for the show are $20 and on sale now. Access to the concert is already included in the Patron Pass.
Join The New Orleans 2nd Line Parade At The 2021 Telluride Jazz Festival
As a nod to the historic jazz culture of the Crescent City, we’ll be hosting our annual Second Line Parade down Main Street all the way to Telluride Town Park on Sunday, August 15 at noon. Join Bonerama along with The Hooligans Brass Band, the Festival staff, attendees, and festival artists for a celebratory kick-off to the final day of the 2021 Telluride Jazz Festival. The parade starts at 12 pm from Elks Park (located across from the courthouse on Colorado Avenue).
Get To Know This Year's Festival Vendors
In addition to three days of world-class music, craft beer and outdoor recreation, festival attendees can enjoy a wide variety of food and craft vendors at the 2021 Telluride Jazz Festival! From delicious wraps, pizza, warm coffee and vegan options, the tasty food vendor menus will keep your taste buds satisfied all weekend long. Shop at the local craft booths for fine jewelry, clothing and keepsakes. Explore all of the vendors.
The 2021 Commemorative Poster Is Here
Now on sale! Pre-order your copy of the official 2021 Telluride Jazz Festival Poster. Take home the official Telluride Jazz Festival poster by pre-ordering yours today! Orders will begin shipping out in July.
Kick Off The 2021 Festival At Jazz On Main
Kick off the Telluride Jazz Festival in style with “Jazz On Main”. On Thursday, August 12 from 4-6 pm in the heart of historic downtown Telluride, five venues will host live jazz bands setting a elegant, chic ambiance on Telluride’s Main Street. Jazz On Main is free and open to the public.
2021 Telluride Jazz Festival Late Night Shows
The late night scene at the Telluride Jazz Festival keeps the music and party going into the deep hours of the evening with the dynamic Jazz After Dark format, and The Final Waltz closing show. When the music ends in Telluride Town Park each day, the fun is far from over! Here is your guide to late night shows at the 2021 Telluride Jazz Festival!
Sierra Nevada Unveils 2021 Telluride Jazz Festival Pour List
The Telluride Jazz Festival is thrilled to team-up with Sierra Nevada Brewing company for the 2021 Festival! Founded in 1980, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is one of America’s premier craft breweries, highly regarded for using only the finest quality ingredients. Throughout the festival you can discover a variety of their craft beers at the main bar, VIP and Patron bars.
2021 Free "First Note" Yoga
Guided by professional instructor Julie Johnston, enjoy a smooth yoga flow at the free “First Note” Yoga Sessions. Learn activating breath techniques, liberating movements and playful exercises in the crisp mountain morning air. Nestled in the cozy amphitheater of Elks Park in downtown Telluride, the yoga sessions are a fun and inspiring way to start your mornings.
2021 Historical Walking Tour - Step into the Past
Discover the past on Saturday morning at the Historical Walking Tour presented by the Telluride Historical Museum. Presenter and long-time resident Ashley Boling will guide visitors through Telluride’s storied past and celebrated landmarks. Walking Tour registrations are free; however, space is limited. Registrations are now open. Be sure to sign up early! Click here to sign up.
"The Final Waltz" Closing Show with Preservation Hall Jazz Band
After Galactic featuring Anjelika Jelly Joseph closes down the Main Stage, the festival concludes with a special performance by the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band at the Sheridan Opera House. Join us for this energetic show in what is sure to be a memorable way to end the 2021 Telluride Jazz Festival.
Build Your Perfect Festival Experience
Tickets for the 44th Annual Telluride Jazz Festival go on sale on Thursday, May 27 (MT). The Festival offers a variety of pass options to help you build your perfect experience. From luxurious Patron and VIP options, to all-inclusive 'All That Jazz' Passes and regular 3-Day Passes, there's something for everyone.
2021 Artist Lineup Is Here
As the summer season in the world-famous mountain town of Telluride, Colorado begins to approach, the Telluride Jazz Festival reveals the 2021 artist lineup. Set on August 13 - 15, 2021, the festival presents a well-rounded, diverse mix of live jazz, funk, soul, and gospel performances featuring Galactic featuring Anjelika 'Jelly' Joseph, Robert Glasper, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Budos Band, The Hot Sardines, Poncho Sanchez and many more.
2021 Spotify Artist Playlist
Now streaming! We've curated a Spotify playlist featuring the full 2021 artist lineup for your enjoyment. Listen to upbeat New Orleans jazz from Galactic featuring Anjelika 'Jelly' Joseph and Preservation Hall Jazz Band, along with fresh and energetic songs from Robert Glasper, The Budos Band and Kelly Finnigan & the Atonements, worldly rhythms from Poncho Sanchez, smooth jazz from The Hot Sardines, Catherine Russell and much more!
It's Official! We're Back! Telluride Jazz Festival To Return On August 13-15, 2021
As the nation gradually emerges from the pandemic and spring turns to summer, we are excited to finally announce that the Telluride Jazz Festival will officially be returning this August 13-15, 2021! After months of hard work with local, county and state officials, we have developed an operating plan to safely host the festival that follows guidelines from governing health organizations and creates a controlled, safe and enjoyable environment. SBG Productions has created a flexible plan and we are prepared to adapt if regulations were to tighten or relax, understanding that the nature of the pandemic can change day-to-day and month-to-month. Our team is excited to welcome everyone back in a highly-managed and safe environment.
Join Us For A Virtual Concert, "Come Sunday"
Join us and the Telluride Society for Jazz the Sunday, September 6 at 10 am (MT) for a special virtual concert, “Come Sunday”, featuring 22 musicians who have studied in the Telluride Jazz Student All Star Program, along with program founder and co-director, Bob Montgomery, performing multiple compositions. All Star standouts including Veronica Swift, Rico Jones and many more will perform with the talented lineup of artists for an exciting hour and a half of jazz music.
Telluride Jazz Festival Postponed To 2021
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TELLURIDE SOCIETY FOR JAZZ
To Our Dear Festival Community,
It is with deep disappointment and great sadness that I write to you today to announce that we have had to make the difficult decision to postpone this summer’s 44th Annual Telluride Jazz Festival. Our festival has persevered every year since 1977, through torrential rains, summer snow storms, airline strikes, recessions and other challenges, but this year the only way to meet the challenge of keeping you -- our valued audience members, our staff, and the many performers who perform on our stage -- safe is to wait until next year.
Similar to many small businesses, nonprofits and presenting organizations, this decision puts us in a difficult position. The Telluride Jazz Festival is owned solely by the Telluride Society for Jazz, a local nonprofit organization, recognized as a charitable entity under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). The Society presents our annual festival and occasional concerts with the dual purposes of presenting live improvisational music within Telluride region, while earning funding to support our educational programs, including our flagship Telluride Jazz Student All-Stars, in-school workshops around the region and community music clinics.
We are grateful to you for your faith in our festival and for expressing your commitment to Telluride Jazz by purchasing your ticket(s) early. And we thank you for trusting us to make the soundest decision to assure the health and safety of all concerned.
We are now working through the process of “unwinding” the enormous work that has gone into bringing along this summer’s festival and adapting our organizational model to continue supporting our educational programs without the resources generated by the festival this year. The team at our production partner, SBG Productions, Inc., had been putting together a stellar festival for this year, but now has had to shift gears and dismantle this year’s arrangements.
Most of the artists have expressed a willingness to postpone their appearance and a desire to perform at our festival in 2021 instead. Artists who know Telluride love to perform at our Town Park venue, which some refer to it as “a little slice of heaven,” an emotion with which we can all agree.
And, to provide some musical entertainment for our audience members who find yourselves “festing in place” this year, several musicians who have come through our Telluride Jazz Student All-Stars program and are now off on exciting careers as performers and educators are working on a virtual experience for your viewing pleasure later this summer.
Our management team at SBG will be reaching out to you shortly to arrange for you to carry your ticket purchase forward for next summer’s festival, or receive a refund, if preferred. As they do this, I wanted to reach out to see if you might consider donating some or all of the value of your ticket purchase as a charitable contribution to Telluride Society for Jazz.
It is the objective of the Society to continue presenting music education opportunities in Telluride and the surrounding region for years to come. Once we return to normalcy, it is our intent to offer enhanced programs and more opportunities for students, both locally and through our nationally-competitive programs, to help promising young musicians make up for time that was disrupted by this global health nightmare we are all facing. In the interim, we are also hoping to generate support for our All-Star alumni who are struggling with no venues at which to perform right now by offering online virtual performance opportunities.
If you are in a position to do so, please consider helping us out with a donation of all or part of the ticket purchase you have already made. Donors will receive special thank you perks, including early access to purchase 2021 tickets and more. Your support will help us all stay in tune.
Stay healthy. Stay safe. We hope to see you in Telluride Town Park, August 13-15, 2021.
Kindest regards,
Peter Bell, Executive Director
Telluride Society for Jazz
executive_director@telluridejazz.org
Options For Ticket-Holders
Ticket-holders have the options of rolling over tickets to next year’s festival which will be held on August 13-15, 2021, obtaining a full refund, partial refund and partial donation to the Telluride Society for Jazz, or a full donation to the Telluride Society for Jazz.
All amounts donated to the Telluride Society for Jazz are considered tax deductible as a charitable contribution on personal income taxes. Donors and those who choose to roll over tickets to the 2021 Festival will receive special perks, including early access to purchase 2021 tickets and more. Explore the options below and complete the form (see tab above) before Sunday, June 14 at 5 pm (MT).
At this time, festival artists including Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Budos Band, The Hot Sardines, Poncho Sanchez, Catherine Russell, Christian Sands, Kelly Finnigan and the Atonements, along with a handful of local groups and student ensembles have committed to perform at the 2021 Festival. Additional artists will be announced leading into next year's event. Click here for the lineup.
ROLL-OVER TICKETS TO AUGUST 13-15, 2021
For ticket-holders willing and able to attend the festival in 2021, you don’t need to do anything. Your tickets will automatically be rolled over and locked in at the current price regardless of 2021 ticket price increases. Single-Day tickets will now be valid for admission to the corresponding day in 2021. For example, 2020 Friday tickets will now be valid for Friday, August 13, 2021, and so on. Rolling over your tickets is an amazing way to support the future viability of the Telluride Jazz Festival.
DONATION & PARTIAL REFUNDS
Ticket-holders can choose to donate 100%, 75%, 50%, 25% of their ticket order to support the Telluride Society for Jazz’s educational programs and the future viability of the Telluride Jazz Festival. All amounts donated are considered a tax deductible as charitable contribution on personal income tax. Those who make a partial donation will be refunded the remaining amount of their ticket order in as little as 30 days. Donors will receive the items listed below as a thank you.
FULL REFUNDS
We are offering the opportunity to obtain a full refund to all ticket-holders. Please complete the form (see tab above. Once the form closes on Sunday, June 14 at 5 pm (MT), all requests will be processed in the order in which they were received, in as little as 30 days.
Coronavirus: Protecting Our Festival Community in a Pandemic
As the number of cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to rise, we remain committed to the health and safety of our audience which is of utmost importance to us. We are closely monitoring health officials’ recommendations and carefully considering options with attendee safety as a top priority. At this time, the Telluride Jazz Festival is moving forward as planned. We will take all precautions and will implement safety measures that exceed the current mandated standards and protocol.