West Maui is getting a full week of jazz, blues, Cajun and zydeco when the Maui Jazz & Blues Festival returns to Kapalua from Aug. 31 through Sept. 6. The resort setting, heavyweight lineup and a community-minded ticket donation make this more than just another sunset concert series.
The festival is returning to The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua for the second consecutive year, with performances spanning Grammy-winning artists, jazz legends, blues icons and local musicians. According to Maui Now, founder Kenneth K. Martinez Burgmaier said the festival will donate more than 200 tickets to Lahaina fire survivors.
The resort’s official event listing describes a week of live performances, intimate dinner shows and special musical experiences, culminating in an outdoor concert Saturday, Sept. 5, followed by a Sunday Jazz Brunch. The main festival event is scheduled for the Aloha Garden Pavilion, while the brunch will take place at Ulana Terrace.
Free Lounge Shows Lead Into Saturday’s Big Finale
The festival’s official website says nightly performances at Alaloa Lounge will run from 6 to 9 p.m., alongside other teaser events and dinner shows throughout the week. That gives attendees several chances to catch live music before the festival’s main ticketed showcase.
That showcase features Steve Turre, Eddie Henderson, Javon Jackson, Joanna Connor, Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, Jason Mingledorff, The Iguanas and the Maui Jazz and Blues Festival Band, as detailed by Maui Now. General admission is listed at $145, VIP tickets at $245 and a VIP table for 10 at $2,000; the Saturday event is restricted to adults age 21 and older.
Brunch And New Orleans Flavor Close The Week
The festival’s official site lists the Sunday Jazz Brunch for Sept. 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with live music at Ulana Terrace. The broader week also brings a New Orleans-inspired cocktail takeover at Alaloa Lounge and Southern-style brunch fare, adding a little Crescent City swagger to the Kapalua calendar.
