With new festivals in Whistler, British Columbia; Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Monte Carlo, Monaco; and San Francisco, Festival Network has officially announced its 2008 season schedule (see full list below).
Lineups for most of the jazz/folk-themed festivals are still coming together, but about one-third of them have been locked down, Festival Network VP of programming Jason Olaine tells Billboard.biz. “We can’t announce who they are yet, but a lot of them are very familiar names,” says Olaine, who books the festivals with staffers in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Several festival lineups have already been announced, including the June 15-28 JVC Jazz Festival New York (Herbie Hancock, Joao Gilberto, Jill Scott), the May 16-17 JVC Jazz Festival Miami (Sergio Mendes, Raul Midon, Anthony Hamilton) and the June 14-15 Playboy Jazz Festival (Hancock Al Jarreau, Tower of Power).
Festival Network, previously known as Festival Productions, was purchased in 2007 from owner George Wein, who still plays an active role in the company. Under the guidance of CEO Tom Shepard, Festival Network is staying true to the legacy that Wein build with Festival Productions, Olaine says.
“We’re building on the shoulders of what Festival Productions has done in the past, which was launching the whole festival culture that we all know and love,” Olaine explains.
Click here to read a Q&A with Festival Network CEO Tom Shepard, who spoke with Billboard about sponsorship opportunities, Festival Network’s 54 years of archival festival footage, new events and expansive programming.
Here are Festival Network’s upcoming summer/fall festival dates:
May 16-17: JVC Jazz Festival Miami (Miami)
June 14-15: Playboy Jazz Festival (Los Angeles)
June 15-28: JVC Jazz Festival New York (New York)
June 27-29: Hampton Jazz Festival (Hampton, Va.)
June 28-29: Freihofer’s Jazz Festival (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.)
July 11-13: JVC North Sea Jazz Festival (Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
July 18-19: JVC Jazz Festival Chicago (Chicago)
July 19-20: Whistler Music Festival (Whistler, British Columbia)
Aug. 1-3: Newport Folk Festival (Newport, R.I.)
Aug. 8-10: JVC Jazz Festival Newport (Newport, R.I.)
Aug. 10: Martha’s Vineyard Festival (Oak Bluffs, Mass.)
Aug. 16-17: Jackson Hole Music Festival (Jackson Hole, Wyo.)
Aug. 16: JVC Jazz Festival Concord (Concord, Calif.)
Aug. 17: JVC Jazz Festival Los Angeles (Los Angeles)
Aug. 30-31: Slow Food Nation Festival (San Francisco)
Sept. 20-21: Monaco Festival de Musique (Monte Carlo, Monaco)
Oct. 10-18: JVC Jazz Festival Paris (Paris)
