America’s best music festivals: Jazz and Classical New England

With anticipation of summer filling the air, the Northeast US is ready to rock with a diverse array of big ticket music festivals that thousands flock to enjoy each year, as well as more intimate multi band gigs across an eclectic mix of musical genres.

New England is a hot spot for summer Jazz festivals. Vermont, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island all boast a variety of top summer music events.

These festivals bring together diverse cultures, cuisine, and eclectic performances.  Here’s just a small taste of what to expect for music fans this summer.

Boston Calling Music Festival is a 3-day music festival taking place in the heart of the city over the Memorial Day Weekend from 23 -25 May 2025. This year an epic weekend awaits along the Charles River at the Harvard Athletic Complex, with more than 50 performances across four outdoor stages, the best food in Boston, 100-foot Ferris wheel, art installations and life-size games. The star line up for 2025 includes; Luke Combs, Avril Lavigne, Sheryl Crow, Fall Out Boy and many more.

The 15^th annual Boston Jazz Fest, taking place 29-30 August 2025 is a vibrant celebration of America’s musical heritage. This annual event brings together world class jazz musicians with performances ranging from trad to contemporary. The festival is ideal for summer visitors to the city who can enjoy the location in Boston’s Maritime Park in the Seaport District. 2025 lineup to be announced soon.

https://www.meetboston.com/events/festivals-and-annual-events/ 

The legendary Newport Jazz Festival returns from 1–3 August at Fort Adams State Park. It has been held every summer in Rhode Island for over 60 years, always featuring a selection of the genre’s greatest stars. Past performers include legendary musicians like Led Zeppelin and Ella Fitzgerald. This year’s headline acts are yet to be announced.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1881 is the largest orchestral organization in the world.  The Orchestra’s world famous summer concert series; Tanglewood, held in its beautiful summer home in the Berkshires will this year see collaborations with John Legend, Jon Baptiste, Nas, Barenaked Ladies, Emmylou Harris and Lynyrd Skynyrd amongst others, as the orchestra demonstrates its extraordinary range.  Tickets are on sale now for these concerts across the summer, beginning 21 June with A Prairie Home Companion followed by Nas with the Boston Pops on 27 June.

The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival celebrates Salem, Mass’ rich Jazz legacy featuring regional and national jazz and soul artists and interactive musical educational sessions along with a curated Artisan Marketplace.

The Hillsboro Summer Festival in New Hampshire takes places 10 -13 July 2025 and features live music, fireworks, a 5 k road race and a hometown parade. The fireworks extravaganza is one of the premier fireworks displays in the state.

Connecticut’s Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz in July offers a weekend of live music in Bushnell Park. It’s the largest free jazz festival in New England and the 2025 lineup includes artists Michelle Coltrane and Alexander Claffy performing over the three-day festival from 18-20 July 2025.

The Burlington Discover Jazz Festival in Vermont is one of the biggest in the region with thousands attending the festival. The 2025 festival takes place from 4-8 June with the opening and closing acts soon to be announced. 

Maine is renowned for its summertime chamber music and classical festivals. In addition to hearing live performances with some of the finest chamber musicians in the world, audiences get to mingle with the artists in an informal setting and share musical insights and personal connections. The Bar Harbour Music Festival and Portland Chamber Music Festival are some of the Chamber Music festivals to check out in Maine.

https://discovernewengland.org/world-cultures/ 

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