THREE STAGES • SOCIAL DISTRICT • BEVERAGES • KIDZBEAT • FOOD VENDORS
BluesFest 2026
Lansing's Legendary Blues Festival
and more... Program subject to change
RESURRECTION BLUES BAND | TWYLA BIRDSONG | NICKY T & THE SNAKE CHARMERS
TOM DUFFIELD | GRADY HALL & THE DISCIPLES OF FUNK | BROTHA EARTH
Feel the rhythm and heart of the blues at Michigan BluesFest in beautiful Old Town Lansing!
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For over two decades, BluesFest has been a community favorite, bringing friends, families, and music lovers together to celebrate the power of live blues.​
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​Whether you're catching a soulful riff at the open-air stages or keeping the night alive at UrbanBeat, every moment is filled with passion, power, and soul.
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World-class blues musicians
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Local food trucks and vendors
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Family-friendly environment
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Community spirit in the heart of Old Town
Immerse yourself at JazzFest in the Music Capital of Michigan - Historic Old Town!
Over thirty years ago, when you walked through north Lansing, you would see mostly empty and boarded-up buildings. In the 1980s, a handful of artists set up studios and opened a few art galleries in the vacant buildings.
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In 1995, the Michigan Institute for Contemporary Art (MICA) produced the first JazzFest Michigan, which placed a spotlight on the historic commercial district we now know as Old Town.​​
The journey has been steady. MICA helped establish Old
Town as one of the first urban Main Streets in the nation.
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Now there are myriadthriving businesses, galleries, restaurants, boutiques, nightclubs, restored and new buildings, loft apartments and waiting lists of people wanting to live here.
MICA is thankful to be able to serve as the catalyst for this community transformation and recognizes the significance that arts and artists play in sustainable economic development of a region.
3 VENUES & 5 DAYS
There will be two venues this year: the MICA and MessageMakers Stages, and the UrbanBeat Afterglow Stage. MICA and MessageMakers Stages are open-air. The Afterglow Stage is indoors at UrbanBeat.
ENJOY THE SOCIAL DISTRICT
Old Town’s designation as a Social District means festival-goers can buy, consume and walk on the streets with appropriately labeled alcoholic beverages from sponsor UrbanBeat and other bars and restaurants while experiencing all the Festival has to offer.
TICKET INFORMATION
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Wednesday 16: $15
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Thursday 17: $15
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Friday 18: $15
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Saturday 19: $15
T-SHIRTS & POSTERS
We’re excited to announce that our 2025 BluesFest t-shirts will be on sale Friday and Saturday at the festival for only $15 - so get one for yourself or grab one for a friend! Vintage T-shirts & Posters also available.
Thank You To Our Sponsors
History
Over the years, the scope of the festival — with paid performers, including those of national and regional stature; two stages and 20 hours of programming; addition of clinics, workshops and children’s activities — has grown to bring in close to 5,000 attendees per year, making sponsors and volunteers more important than ever!
Since its inception, JazzFest has welcomed such renowned artists as TS Monk, Stanley Jordan, Hot Club of Detroit, Tim Cunningham, Johnny O’Neal, Rayse Biggs, Mose Allison, Michael Kaeshammer, the Professors of Jazz at MSU (Derrick Gardner, Randy Gelispie, Diego Rivera, Rick Roe, Rodney Whitaker, Sunny Wilkinson), Terell Stafford, Marcus Belgrave, Dr. E, Nicole Mitchell, John Douglas, Francis Kofi, Betty Joplin, Tyrone Johnson, Straight Ahead, Orrick Ewing, and numerous regional and local acts.
Please take a look at our outdoor mural that showcases a history of JazzFest and BluesFest posters in Old Town Lansing.
JazzFest is produced by MICA (Michigan Institute for Contemporary Art). WLNZ and MessageMakers remain founding supporters of JazzFest, along with other corporate sponsors and a committed team of over 150 volunteers.
JazzFest is THE place to enjoy the soothing rhythms and contagious beat of cool jazz tunes on a hot summer weekend!