DC Jazz Festival is bringing the music to the heart of Downtown DC with a dynamic afternoon and evening of live jazz at Anthem Row on Thursday, September 3, featuring jazz-funk favorites Butcher Brown, acclaimed bassist and DC native Corcoran Holt, and legendary DC saxophonist Marshall Keys & Soulful Path.
Presented as part of the 2026 DC JazzFest, September 2–6, the DC JazzFest at the Anthem Row celebration puts Downtown DC center stage as residents, workers and visitors gather for live music in one of the city’s vibrant public spaces.
Free and open to the public, the September 3 Anthem Row celebration invites residents, workers and visitors to experience an afternoon and evening of live jazz in the heart of Downtown DC—no ticket required.
“As we welcome DC JazzFest back to Anthem Row this September, the DowntownDC Business Improvement District is proud to continue our partnership in bringing dynamic, world-class programming to DowntownDC,” said Gerren Price, DowntownDC BID President and CEO. “Activating spaces like Anthem Row is central to our mission: creating vibrant, accessible destinations where arts and culture can thrive and bring our community together. We look forward to experiencing the incredible, silky sounds of live jazz that will fill Downtown DC with energy, creativity, and the unmistakable spirit of the festival.”
“DC has an extraordinary jazz legacy, and bringing DC JazzFest to Anthem Row allows us to celebrate that legacy right in the heart of the city,” said DC Jazz Festival President and CEO Sunny Sumter. “Butcher Brown, Corcoran Holt and Marshall Keys represent different generations and expressions of the music, and together they make for a terrific Downtown DC experience.”
Jazz Across DC
The Anthem Row celebration is part of five days of DC JazzFest performances across the District. The Festival opens Wednesday, September 2 at The Hamilton Live with the JazzDC All-Stars, directed by Paul Carr and joined by NEA Jazz Master Jason Marsalis and GRAMMY-nominated vocalist Christie Dashiell. Saxophonist Herb Scott leads the Opening Jam that evening at Mr. Henry’s.
Also on September 3, Dan Murray performs at The Kreeger Museum and trumpeter Joe Brotherton performs at St. Vincent Wine. On September 4, DCJF’s Organ Summit returns to Westminster Church, before the Festival culminates with DC JazzFest at The Wharf, September 5–6, featuring six stages of music along the Southwest Waterfront.
The 2026 DC JazzFest brings together internationally renowned artists, emerging voices and many of the DMV’s finest musicians for performances throughout the nation’s capital. The full Festival runs September 2–6, 2026.
Tickets, schedules and Festival information are available at dcjazzfest.org.
Learn more about the DC Jazz Festival and all of our programs by visiting www.dcjazzfest.org.
About DC Jazz Festival: The DC Jazz Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that celebrates America’s original musical art form by presenting year-round programs and performances. Our mission is to present internationally renowned and emerging artists in celebration of jazz, unify diverse communities and enable connections between artists and audiences, advance jazz and music education, provide performance opportunities for DC-based musicians, and highlight DC as a major and vibrant center for jazz. With dozens of performances in venues across the city, the annual DC JazzFest is one of the world’s largest music festivals. This international event attracts jazz lovers from around the world to the nation’s capital. The 2026 DC JazzFest will take place citywide, September 2 – September 6. www.dcjazzfest.org
About the DowntownDC BID;
Downtown DC is the most diverse and exciting neighborhood in one of the most important cities in the world. Here, locals and visitors find all the most thrilling experiences of DC in 140 walkable and transit-rich blocks: shopping and dining; business, education and government; parks, art, music, sports, theater, history – adding up to a bright future. Founded in 1997, the DowntownDC BID’s area includes 530 properties and is defined by Massachusetts Avenue on the north, including the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at Mount Vernon Square, to Constitution Avenue on the south, and from Louisiana Avenue on the east to 16th Street on the west.
