The countdown begins. BRIC JazzFest is set to return October 17–18 to BRIC House in Downtown Brooklyn, bringing together an expansive lineup of jazz icons, boundary-pushers, and global innovators across two electrifying nights and stages.
Artists include GRAMMY-winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, Afrofuturist trumpeter and composer Chief Adjuah, London saxophonist Nubya Garcia, and bassist and composer Endea Owens, whose ensemble captivates millions on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, brings her acclaimed sound to the BRIC stage.
The 2025 program continues the festival’s commitment to equity and global reach. More than half the lineup features women artists, while sounds span continents from North America to Africa, South America to the Middle East, creating an unprecedented global dialogue through jazz.
Curated by Adrian Younge, the Los Angeles–based composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist behind the influential Jazz Is Dead series, this year’s festival channels a deeply layered, cross-cultural perspective. With roots in hip-hop and jazz, and a body of work that includes scoring for film and television, Younge brings a layered musical sensibility shaped by Black traditions across genres. His collaboration with Karriem Riggins will close the festival with an improvisational set.
BRIC JazzFest has become one of New York’s most inclusive and forward-thinking jazz festivals, known for its global scope, strong curatorial voice, and intimate, high-caliber performances. Over the past 11 years, it has hosted more than 150 artists and welcomed 15,000 attendees. As jazz resurfaces in mainstream culture—through film, fashion, and streaming—this year’s lineup (Bridgewater, Adjuah, Garcia, Owens) offers a timely lens into the genre’s evolving future.
2025 BRIC JazzFest Lineup
BRIC JazzFest 2025 will take place over two nights, Friday, October 17 and Saturday, October 18, at BRIC House, located at 647 Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn. The festival will unfold across two indoor stages, the Ballroom and the Stoop, offering an immersive, multi-artist experience that highlights the depth and diversity of contemporary jazz.
Friday, October 17
Ballroom Stage
• Chief Adjuah – A landmark performance from the genre-defying artist formerly known as Christian Scott, known for blending ancestral Black traditions with avant-garde improvisation
• Adrian Younge – The festival’s guest curator appears across the evening in various sonic and collaborative roles
• Vuyo Sotashe & Chris Pattishall – A newly forged collaboration between the South African vocalist and New York-based pianist and composer
Stoop Stage
• Saha Gnawa– A Moroccan ensemble integrating traditional trance rhythms and spiritual themes into contemporary jazz contexts
• Meklit Hadero– The Ethiopian-American vocalist and cultural strategist brings a repertoire that merges Ethio-jazz, soul, and folk
• Dida Pelled – A Tel Aviv–born guitarist known for her modern approach to bebop-era repertoire and original cinematic compositions
Saturday, October 18
Ballroom Stage
- Dee Dee Bridgewater – One of jazz’s most decorated vocalists, returning to Brooklyn with a performance honoring legacy, reinvention, and the Black American songbook
- Nubya Garcia– A major force in the London jazz scene, Garcia’s work draws from Caribbean roots, electronic music, and spiritual jazz traditions
Endea Owens– A bassist, composer, and bandleader recognized for her work with Jon Batiste and her own ensemble, The Cookout
Stoop Stage
- Adrian Younge x Karriem Riggins (Closing Jam Session) – A live, improvisatory set led by two of the most forward-thinking figures in rhythm and production
- OKAN– The JUNO Award–winning Afro-Cuban Canadian duo blends traditional rhythms with jazz, soul, and global pop
- New Jazz Underground– The Harlem-based trio emerging from New York’s subway system, known for their virtuosic live performances and street-level accessibility