Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival

The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival is the University of Idaho's four-day jazz festival in Moscow, Idaho, scheduled for April 14 to 17, 2027 as its 60th edition. The university describes it as one of the largest and oldest educational jazz festivals in the world. It began in 1967 with a dozen student groups and one guest artist, was renamed for vibraphonist Lionel Hampton in 1985, and has hosted artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan and The Manhattan Transfer. Hundreds of student performances, evening concerts and nearly 100 workshops, clinics and exhibits fill the campus.

Evening concerts take place at the Administration Building Auditorium and the ICCU Arena, and tickets are sold through the University of Idaho ticket office. Student performances around campus need no ticket, and the workshops are free and open to all. The 2026 edition opened with a concert by Lionel Hampton School of Music ensembles and followed with ticketed headliner nights. Volunteers can earn a free concert ticket for four hours of work, and donors giving $500 or more get early ticket access.

The festival suits jazz fans, students, teachers and families, since much of the program is free: competitive student performances across campus and public workshops covering topics such as dance and yoga. Those who want name artists can buy tickets to the evening concerts, and the university notes that headliners also meet student musicians. The program is built around jazz education, so it works well for anyone interested in young players.