The Tucson Jazz Festival lucked out in 2020. COVID-19 hit after the festival wrapped up in late January.
But with the pandemic still a threat and wanting to take no chances, festival organizers are pushing the 2021 event back to late March, holding it outdoors at Armory Park and shrinking it from two weeks to two days.
The festival needs county approval, which artistic director Andrew Birgensmith said could come in mid-November.
Birgensmith said the festival stands a good chance of getting an OK for the 252,000-square-foot Armory Park.
The county requires that attendees have a 150-square-foot separation, which would give the festival room for 1,700 people to attend each day.
βItβs only going to happen if we can do it safely,β said Jazz Festival Board President Elliot Glicksman. βBut weβre optimistic we will because we are taking incredible steps.β
In addition to social distancing, the festival will have numerous sanitizing stations throughout the grounds and stringent cleaning protocols.
Food vendors also will be operating with ordering apps to discourage large gatherings near the food tent areas, Glicksman said.
The 2021 Tucson Jazz Festival on March 20-21, presented by longtime sponsor HSL Properties, will feature eight headliners performing back to back on the main stage:
β’ Chicago-born New Orleans-based jazz vocalist Nayo Jones.
Funk band Ghost-Note
- Cory Wong with Cody Fry
- Swedish jazz-fusion band
- Grammy-nominated
- Electric jazz bassist
- Dave Grusin and Lee Ritenour
β’ St. Paul & the Broken Bones
Reservations for tickets, limited to four per person, are open through tucsonjazzfestival.org, with prices starting at $75 for a single day, $125 for a two-day, in-person pass, or $40 to $75 for the livestream.
