The Blue Note Jazz Festival is returning to Tokyo in 2025, bringing world-class performers and genre-spanning music to Ariake Arena on September 27th and 28th.
This year's lineup blends global stars with Japanese talent, promising two days of standout performances. Day one features Norah Jones, whose debut album earned five Grammy Awards and sold more than 53 million copies worldwide, along with Take 6 performing with the Miho Hazama Jazz Orchestra for the first time. Audiences can also look forward to Don Was & Pan Detroit Ensemble, Brazilian pianist Amaro Freitas, and singer-songwriter Valerie June.
Day two will showcase Grammy-winning R&B artist Ne-Yo, funk legends Tower of Power, Japanese entertainer Daichi Miura, and UK acid jazz pioneers Incognito. SOIL&'PIMP'SESSIONS will also perform with special guest Ryosuke Nagaoka, adding a distinctive homegrown edge to the international bill.
The Blue Note Jazz Festival began in New York in 2011 and has since expanded to California's Napa Valley, Hollywood, and right here in Tokyo, drawing a wide range of artists across jazz, funk, R&B, and soul. Japan first hosted the festival in 2015 with acts like Jeff Beck and Pat Metheny, and it has returned several times since (albeit not annually) with equally impressive lineups.
With tickets selling quickly and some seating categories already sold out, the 2025 edition is shaping up to be another memorable chapter in the festival's ongoing global journey.
