Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Gregory Porter Confirmed For 2020 North Sea Jazz Festival

The NN 2020 North Sea Jazz Festival will celebrate its 45th edition when it returns to the Ahoy Centre in Rotterdam from 10-12 July with arguably its most high profile line-up to date. The first wave of artists announced includes a vast array of some of the most successful and revered singers of all time including Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Jill Scott, George Benson, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Michael Kiwanuka and Gregory Porter.

The festival will once again present a selection of icons from the realms of jazz and blues, including world-renowned pianist Herbie Hancock, Israeli bassist Avishai Cohen and his project Big Vicious, and Shabaka Hutchings’s collaborative ensemble with South Africa’s finest musicians Shabaka & The Ancestors, as well as Grammy-winning blues-rock maestro Joe Bonamassa who will be accompanied by The Metropole Orkest.

Less than an hour’s plane-ride away or a direct train from London St Pancras, the 2020 North Sea Jazz Festival is easily accessible from the UK and has built an unrivalled reputation since its inception in 1976 as one of the most unique and eclectic events in the musical calendar.

Having played host to the likes of jazz greats Miles Davis and Ray Charles through to D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Jamiroquai and Earth, Wind and Fire, the North Sea Jazz Festival is a legendary event unlike any other and will this year present more than 1000 musicians in over 150 performances across its 3 days.

With early bird tickets already sold out, day tickets go on sale Friday, 1 February. Please visit the event’s official website for further information.

The 2020 North Sea Jazz Festival includes the following programme of events:

Thursday 9 July: Grand opening Night with John Legend.

Friday 10 July: Archie Shepp – Tribute to John Coltrane, Branford Marsalis, Brittany Howard, Burna Boy, George Benson, Jazzmeia Horn, Jill Scott, Joe Bonamassa & Metropole Orkest, Jordan Rakei, Kurt Elling & Danilo Pérez, Kokoroko, Lionel Richie, Louis Cole Big Band, Mark Guiliana BEAT MUSIC, Mark Lettieri Group, Nérija, This Edition ft. Jeff Ballard, Jasper Høiby, Pablo Held, Verneri Pohjola, Julian Argüelles and many more.

Saturday 11 July: Archie Shepp – Tribute to John Coltrane, Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram, Diana Ross, Dweezil Zappa, Eric Gales, Gustavo Santaolalla, Greg Ward’s Rogue Parade, Hiromi, Ibrahim Maalouf, James Carter Organ Trio, Little Simz, Marc Cohn & The Blind Boys of Alabama, Michael Kiwanuka, Mood Swing Quartet ft. Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride & Brian Blade, Nubya Garcia, Nona, Typhoon, Yola and many more.

Sunday 12 July: Alicia Keys, Ari Lennox, Avishai Cohen Big Vicious, Baby Rose, Black Pumas, Gregory Porter, Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aymée Nuviola’s Band “Viento y Tiempo”, Herbie Hancock, Joey Alexander Trio, John McLaughlin & The 4th Dimension, Kenny Barron & Dave Holland Trio ft. Johnathan Blake, Mudita, New Cool Collective, SFJAZZ Collective, Shabaka And The Ancestors, Stacey Kent, TaxiWars and many more.

Listen to the Best of Diana Ross on Apple Music and Spotify.

Format: UK English