Seeing live music performances is one of the best ways to spend the summer. The weather is beautiful, and you may be looking for more events to attend on your trip to DC this month. In addition to learning about the history of the city and exploring the beautiful and iconic landmarks while touring, make sure to incorporate some music into your trip as well.
Summer Musical Festivals in DC You Don’t Want to Miss
Upcoming Music Festivals
1 ♪ DC World Reggae Festival - Aug 20
Located at Festival Grounds at RFK Campus, join music lovers and reggae performers at the annual DC World Reggae Festival from 1:00pm-11:00pm on Saturday, August 20th. This inclusive and fun event incorporates love, health awareness, and unity into music for all to enjoy. The event was originally two days, but has been changed into a single day event on Saturday. Now all performers will be scheduled for Saturday. Doors open at 12:00pm on August 20th, and tickets are $70. Read more about the event here and purchase your tickets here.
2 ♪ DCBX Latin Music and Diversity Festival - Aug 25 - 29
DCBX is a visionary entertainment and lifestyle brand hosting a multicultural, educational, music, and entertainment festival. There will be over two hundred educational sessions in Latin dance, diversity, entrepreneurship, and business. During the day, there is a diversity conference, while at night there are parties and concerts. This is a unique, educational, and fun opportunity to celebrate culture while learning in the process. The festival will be hosted at the Renaissance Marriot Hotel in downtown DC from Thursday, August 25th to Monday, August 29th. There are various events to attend like workshops, rooftop parties, shows, evening dancing, and a Smithsonian Museum tour. On Wednesday, August 24th, there is also an official pre-party. Read more about the event and the activities each day here .
3 ♪ DC Jazzfest - Aug 31- Sept 4
Join musical performers and music lovers at the 18th annual DC Jazzfest this year. Learn about the history of this iconic event here. From August 31st to September 4th, come to DC to see incredible performers like Christian McBride & Inside Straight, Orrin Evans Captain Black Big Band, Dianne Reeves, Ron Carter’s Golden Striker Trio, Regina Carter Gone in A Phrase of Air, as well as many other talented artists. The schedule can be found here so you can plan who you’d like to see and where they’ll be performing. You can purchase tickets for performers individually on the schedule page or purchase day passes. Be sure to get your tickets to see your favorite artists in advance as they are selling out quickly and read more about the festival here!
While you’re in DC, if you’re looking for another event during the day or evening, be sure to check out our Capitol Express Day or Night Tours. Learn about the city’s rich history and beautiful landmarks on our fun and educational narrated golf cart tours. These tours are a fun and stress free way to visit all of the popular sites without needing to create a plan or research on your own. Capitol Express Tours is a local business that will take you to see the iconic monuments and memorials within DC on our narrated tour down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the Capitol and through the heart of the National Mall where you can see various monumental landmarks, memorials, and other sites that show the interesting details of the nation’s capital with the ability to customize your tours as well. Book your tour today!