09 February 2025
Newsdesk
The NN North Sea Jazz Festival, the world’s largest indoor music festival, has announced that the legendary Queen of Motown Diana Ross will close the festival on Sunday 13th July accompanied by a live orchestra. Also announced for the Sunday is the multi-million-selling US singer, songwriter, and pianist Norah Jones, who was recently awarded her 10th Grammy for “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album” for her album Vision.
Taking place from Friday 11th – Sunday 13th July 2025, this year’s event will return to the Ahoy Centre in Rotterdam featuring a star-studded line-up of international talent alongside a selection of the most celebrated up-and-coming artists spanning jazz, blues, soul, pop, and more.
Amongst the 30+ artists already revealed are a host of major names, including 4x Brit Award-nominated Ezra Collective, iconic soul singer Mary J. Blige, R&B sensation Jorja Smith, visionary U.S. saxophonist Kamasi Washington, rising jazz vocal star Samara Joy, multi-talented New Zealand artist Jordan Rakei, neo-soul legend Maxwell, powerhouse vocalist Lady Blackbird, blues-rock guitar virtuoso Joe Bonamassa with the Metropole Orkest, globally acclaimed sitar maestro Anoushka Shankar, retro soul group Thee Sacred Souls, soulful Uganda-born, UK-based singer-songwriter Victor Ray, Afrobeats sensation Omah Lay, and LA-based poet, writer, lyricist, and activist Aja Monet.
This year’s program is anchored by Jacob Collier, the festival’s 2025 Artist in Residence. The seven-time Grammy Award winner will take the stage across all three days, offering a diverse array of performances that highlight his much-talked-about musical versatility.
The North Sea stages will also feature an exceptional lineup of contemporary jazz talent, including Immanuel Wilkins, Branford Marsalis, Julian Lage, Madeleine Peyroux, Lakecia Benjamin, Avishai Cohen’s Quartet, Jazzmeia Horn, Kurt Elling & Yellowjackets celebrating Weather Report, Lionel Hampton Big Band with Jason Marsalis, Tigran Hamasyan, and Ghost-Note.
Full line-up to date is below and additional names will be announced in due course.
Attracting around 80,000 music lovers each year, the North Sea Jazz Festival has built a legendary reputation since its debut in 1976, having welcomed iconic artists like Miles Davis, Prince, Ella Fitzgerald, Amy Winehouse, and Adele. This summer, the festival will feature over 1,000 musicians, with 150 performances spread across 15 stages. Easily accessible from Rotterdam—just an hour’s flight away, a direct train ride from London St Pancras, or a ferry trip from multiple UK locations—the North Sea Jazz Festival is the perfect choice for a weekend getaway.
NN North Sea Jazz Festival 2025 – Rotterdam Ahoy Centre
Friday 11th July: Mary J Blige, Avishai Cohen (trumpet) Quartet, Branford Marsalis Quartet, DeWolff, Ezra Collective, Jacob Collier (artist in residence), Jordan Rakei, Judith Hill, Julian Lage, Madeleine Peyroux, Omah Lay, Victor Ray
Saturday 12th 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 13th July: Anoushka Shankar, Diana Ross, Immanuel Wilkins Quartet, Jacob Collier (artist in residence), Jazzmeia Horn, Jorja Smith, Kamasi Washington, Kurt Elling & Yellowjackets celebrate Weather Report, Lady Blackbird, Lakecia Benjamin, NorahJones, Thee Sacred Souls, Tigran Hamasyan
