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Mobile, Alabama • May & June 2026

JAWS Fest 2026

A bold celebration of jazz through live music, visual art, creative writing, youth programs, and cultural experiences across Mobile and the Gulf Coast.

Live Performances Art Exhibitions Writers & Authors Youth Showcase
See the Events Explore the Art Writers Page Support the Festival
Why People Come

More than a festival. It’s a cultural experience.

JAWS Fest brings together artists, musicians, students, educators, writers, and the Mobile community to celebrate jazz as a living force in music, visual art, writing, and education.

Presented in partnership with the University of South Alabama Libraries Art Galleries and the historic Excelsior Band, JAWS Fest honors the roots of jazz while creating something fresh, public, and memorable.

What makes it different

People do not remember festivals because they were informational. They remember festivals that feel alive, distinct, and culturally rooted. JAWS Fest does exactly that.

  • Historic jazz culture tied directly to Mobile
  • Live concerts, gallery experiences, and literary events
  • Youth participation and public recognition
  • An identity that feels artistic, local, and memorable
Festival Highlights

What you’ll experience at JAWS Fest

Live Jazz

Concerts and featured performances that bring Gulf Coast jazz heritage to life.

Art Exhibitions

Visual storytelling inspired by the rhythm, history, and spirit of jazz.

Authors & Poets

Books, spoken word, and literary events that expand jazz beyond the stage.

Visit the Writers Page

Youth Showcase

Student artwork and writing displayed publicly with real recognition.

Featured Events

Plan your visit around the biggest moments

Opening Ceremony

Kick off the festival at the Marx Library Auditorium and Rodning Gallery with the official start of JAWS Fest.

May 14, 2026

Excelsior Band featuring Will Phillips

One of the most anticipated performances of the season with a direct connection to Mobile’s jazz tradition.

May 14, 2026 • 6:00 PM

Spoken Word Event

A powerful literary experience featuring Daphney Portis and Huggy Bear da Poet.

June 2, 2026 • 12:00 PM

View Full Schedule
Why It Matters

Built for culture, community, and creative growth

Youth

Students engage directly with jazz through guided art and writing experiences.

Artists

Regional and featured artists gain visibility through exhibitions and performances.

Mobile

The festival strengthens the city’s identity as a place where culture is still alive and public.

Jazz

Historic traditions are preserved while new creative voices enter the conversation.

Come for the music. Stay for the experience. Whether you want to attend, volunteer, donate, or sponsor, JAWS Fest gives people a real way to be part of Mobile’s cultural story.

Attend the Festival Volunteer Donate Become a Sponsor

JAWS YOUTH

JAWS Youth is our art outreach program for students connecting them to the Jazz Art Writers South Festival by utilizing art and music. View the one of a kind jazz-themed art by K-12 students on display in the Marx Library during May and June.

LEARN MORE

2025 JAWS YOUTH WINNERS

  • BEST IN SHOW

    Jalani Allen

    Floretta P. Carson Visual & Performing Arts Academy

  • BEST JAZZ THEMED WORK

    LaLi LaPish

    Barton Academy

  • BEST CREATIVE EXPRESSION

    Landon Robinson

    Barton Academy

  • Carmen B. Brown Viewers Choice

    Stella Millhouse-Johnson

    Dunbar Magnet School of Creative and Performing Arts

MERCHANDISE

Celebrate JAWS Fest in style with our custom t-shirt! 2026 Edition Coming Soon!

CONNECT

JAWS Festival 2024 t-shirts are still on sale! Celebrate JAWS Fest in style with our custom t-shirt, featuring our 2024 mascot on the front and our music event schedule on the back. Enjoy this awesome way to remember the great time you had at JAWS F
Check out the winning paintings from this year's JAWS Youth art contest! Best of Show: Rian Jackson - "Untitled" Best Jazz Themed Work: Mariah Leggins - "Freedom" Best Creative Expression: Kahmani Pearson - "The Art of Jazz&
Celebrate the end of an unforgettable JAWS Festival with us! Our Closing Ceremony with a performance by Andrew Ayers & Friends with Jazz Studio is this Thursday, June 20, at 6:00 pm. Visit our website to reserve your seat by making a donation! A
Don’t forget about our concert tomorrow night! Join us in the Marx Library Auditorium at 6:00 pm for A Night of Mississippi Blues with Thomas Jackson. Reserve a spot by making a donation to JAWS Fest via our Eventbrite page, see our website www
Fun with the Sound Buryer! We've so enjoyed our Jazzy Lunches with this awesome artist. If you haven't had the chance to join us for Jazzy Lunch during this year's festival, worry not! We still have two Jazzy Lunch events coming your way. These even
Repost from @usa_libraries_art_galleries : "The Whole Thing: Music Made From Every Stage" is not just an exhibition—it's a celebration of jazz as a living, breathing art form. Through Argo's masterful use of color, texture, and form,
ONE WEEK until our next big JAWS Festival concert! Thomas Jackson is a singer/songwriter and visual artist from Hattiesburg, MS. He performs original and traditional blues music all over the South and has been performing live music for nearly 20 ye
Missing Mardi Gras already? Join us and the Gulf Coast Dixieland Dauphin Street Stompers tomorrow for a taste of your favorite carnival season tunes, right here at the Marx Library. Wednesday, May 29th at 12:00 pm | Marx Library Room 181 | FREE Eve