Posted October 16, 2025
Madison, WI, is known to be a very artsy urban city. It’s the host of many concerts, shows, and events throughout its hot and busy time of year. The streets are more alive, and spaces normally left alone suddenly become grounds for celebrations. The summer is when the city feels like it’s breathing. Everyone just flies a little higher once June kicks off the three-month party season.
One event hosted in early June kicks off the summer in an elegantly smooth way, serving as a cool break-in to a more rambunctious and happy time.
That event is the annual Madison Jazz Festival. This ten-day celebration of an American musical favorite is put on each year in downtown and attracts thousands each time. The event runs throughout the beginning of June and takes place at many different outdoor/indoor venues in downtown Madison. Crowds gather, spending the day outside, listening to a genre that’s inherently soothing. Some even jive to their favorite artists, encouraging others to join them in front of the stage.
This year, the event was spread out, with the main stage being at the UW-Madison Memorial Union Terrace. The campus serves as a great place for large gatherings, such as concerts, with tons of free space during the college summer break. Unsurprisingly, many of the attendees at these events are college students, looking to kick their summer off.
The festival ran for ten days, capturing two major weekends in the process. From June 5-15, events were sprinkled throughout the city with a plethora and variety of jazz artists to tune in to.
Many renowned American jazz artists attend and perform at this annual extravaganza.
Artists this year included jazz bands such as Sweet Tooth, with single-instrument musicians such as Chicago favorite Edwin Daughterty, who create art through their hands and voices. People who truly love what they do and want to share that with those willing to listen.
This so-called star-studded lineup also features nationally recognized artists and award winners such as Arturo O’Farrill and Isaiah Collier.
The festival is put on each year by the Wisconsin Union Theater, the Arts + Literature Laboratory, along with other partners and contributors.
One attendee, Betty Williams, has attended the show for two years since moving to the state. She detailed her experiences at the festivals while adding to what makes them such an annual success. In her eyes, the event is wholly “inspiring.”
“There is something so impossibly pure about their music.” She described the festival as freeing .“You know what I think, people are just a little freer when they come here. Like, they all just look that way.”
Williams went on to praise the festival and described her connection to the genre. Now well into her sixties, she says she enjoyed the genre with her mother long before most of the attendees to the festival had been born. “My mama, god rest her soul, she loved, loved this. But you know what, I’m still here, so I might as well enjoy myself.”
Another attendee at the festival was graduate student Connor Renfrow, who says he’s been into the genre since he was little. Renfrow began playing the saxophone in elementary school. He ended up playing in school concerts and through the first two years of his undergraduate career.
“It’s not really a family thing at all. Kind of just found my own way into it when I was little,” said Renfrow.
The festival kicked off the warm season in style, much to the pleasure of local college students.
“Yeah, it’s just a good way to start summer. It’s my excuse to drink and hang out with my friends,” Renfrow said. “We actually get to see each other this week,” he added.
Among the festival’s large roster of talented musicians lie fewer nationally recognized award-winners. But of that fairly short lies Isaiah Collier, a Grammy-award-winning saxophonist with his ensemble, “The Chosen Few.” The group was one of the top performers during their quick stop in Madison.
The festival saw a hit final weekend, drawing some of the biggest crowds of the showing. Both Isaiah Collier and Arturo O’Farrill were responsible for this proper grand finale, performing on both June 14 and 15.
The humid weekend temperatures didn’t seem to keep folks indoors, as spirits and attendance were high during the mid to late afternoon outdoor shows.
The final weekend at the Memorial Union Terrace was also totally free, unlike some ticketed events across the city. There’s a general consensus among the goers of these events that the music promotes nothing but good feelings and vibes. You won’t see too many frowns at the shows, and the musicians, especially, look alive. The festival, now a longtime Madison tradition, serves as an excellent transition to the outdoor season.
The Wisconsin Union thanked visitors following the event. And it seems the 2026 festival is already on the horizon, with the phrase “stay tuned for more information,” preluding next year’s spring festival.
One thing is clear: Jazz has its place in the heart of Madison, WI.
The article may be found online at https://uwrfjournalism.org/2025/10/the-madison-jazz-festival-an-urban-classic/.