Artist Submissions
Images from The Art of Jazz: Monterey Jazz
Festival / 50 Years. Available here at the Festival's Store.
"Monterey has special meaning for me. It's the one festival where the musicians really feel a part of the festival itself. At other festivals, you have a spot, you play the spot, you go wherever your spot is. But the Monterey Jazz Festival is unique in that the musicians feel they're part of what's happening, and that lends itself to a very high degree of creativity." - Dizzy Gillespie, 1977
Named "the greatest jazz festival ever" by Tony Bennett and consistently voted "World's Best Jazz Festival" by readers of JazzTimes Magazine, the Monterey Jazz Festival is the longest continuously-running jazz festival, and one of the entertainment world's most prestigious events.
Every September since the inaugural festival in 1958—which featured some of the greatest legends in jazz, including Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Gerry Mulligan, and Billie Holiday—the Monterey Jazz Festival has brought together electrifying jazz artists and enthusiastic jazz audiences for a three-day celebration of jazz.
If you would like the opportunity to join this stellar cast of musicians at the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival, please adhere to the following guidelines when submitting materials for consideration.
Guidelines to apply to the 56th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival
The Artist Submission period for the 56th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival (September 20 – 22, 2013) is now closed.
Submission for the 57th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival (September 19 - 21, 2014) will be accepted November 1, 2013 – February 1, 2014.
Please note that you will need to re-submit materials for each year you wish to be considered, as space limitations prevent us from keeping submissions from previous years on file.
Both emerging and established artists will be considered for the Monterey Jazz Festival, with a focus on established and regional artists. Please refer to the previous year's lineup for more specific information as to the type of artists selected in the past.
Artist Submission Status
More information will be available on November 1, 2013.
Although we sincerely appreciate your interest in the Monterey Jazz Festival, please be aware that the large volume of submissions received prohibits us from listening to or offering assessment and feedback on all submissions. Therefore, only those who are being considered for inclusion in the Monterey Jazz Festival will be contacted—typically by mid-March. Please do not contact our office unless asked to do so, as the overwhelming demand for performance opportunities often precludes us from accepting or returning solicitation calls.
Thank you for complying with the aforementioned guidelines. We appreciate your dedication to jazz and are honored that you are interested in participating in the Monterey Jazz Festival.
