Hampton Jazz Festival

I went online to purchase my tickets the minute they went on sale and was extremely disappointed the the best seat was in the 36th row. This was after doing a search to find a scalpers website that offered $79 premium general admission seats for over $500. I understand opening sales for block seats to groups first but you do yourselves and true supporters a great disservice. I was then rained on due to a leak in the building. The only reason I continue to support the event is because I believe it is an awesome annual festival, although I think it is too much R&B and not enough jazz. If given the opportunity to go to another venue to support the jazz festival, I would choose that option. Please fix you structure issues and find a better way to vet ticket sales. I recommend only because it is the iconic HJF.

The line up for Saturday and Sunday were both outstanding. The sound system in the arena was terrible

This is the first time my boyfriend and I attended. I purchased tickets for his birthday. He loved it ❤️

The show was nice......KEM was great!!! I think that Kem should have been the headliner of the show as his performance was the best

We had a wonderful time! The performers and their performances was unforgettable!!!

Johanthan Butler and the rest of his team was great. KEM was really good I wanted him to stay on. After KEM I was ready to go home. Then Charlie Wilson came out and he rocked the house. That was my first time seeing Charlie I would go see him again. If you missed the show you missed a good one.

The festival was very good with a good mix of entertainers. It was well organized and didn't take long to go from one set to the next. All of the performers were very good. The only drawback is due to limited time the performers should concentrate on singing their most popular hits and not waste their time with unpopular or new material which fans are not familiar with. I certainly understand singing one or two unfamiliar tunes especially if they are trying to promote new material, but not at the expense of classic songs which they are known for.

This was my first time attending the event and it was great. The performances were outstanding and of course Chaka did her thing!!!

Great value for the price. I thorougly enjoyed the concert.

I have been attending the jazz fest for the last 15 years and this was best show yet. Charlie Wilson was amazing. You would never believe a 58 year old could move and have as much stamina as he does. Great job and looking forward to seeing such a performance again.

Hampton Jazz fest? Where is the real Jazz or some decent acts? This is a declining event each year,,,one show out of three sold out....not a good look...please invest in some quality artists.

Friday night was ole school night. Gladys was excellent. She still sounds like back in the day. It was good to see Bubba with his crazy acting self. O'jays were good as usual. Eddie and Walter still going strong. And last but not least --KEM. I just luv everything he sings. Excellent stage presence. Overall it was worth the trip from Maryland. I plan to attend again next year. Just need some jazz artist tho.

Good show. Once again Kem put on a super performance!!

Great show! But, this time was limited to attending only one performance for weekend. Mostly, went to see Glady's Knight and Ojay's. Then, turned to local radio stations for jazz sounds, afterwards. :) Just miss true jazz-and-blues format, that's all. But, as always, great music-loving crowd in attendance...

The festival got off to a great start thanks to Leela James, Kem, Gladys Knight, and the Ojays. Leela James was a good opening act. Kem was his usual spectacular self. Gladys Knight was the surprise of the night. She looked amazing and sounded even better. The Ojays closed the show in a way that only they can do. Walter and Eddie haven't lost a step and brought the house down. Great first night.

This was my first time attending the Hampton Jazz Festival and I did so with my Boo and my two BFF's and while I only purchased tickets to the Saturday show, I was truly impressed with the venue and the performers. I cannot wait until next year where I'll be attending all three shows! This was the best jazz experience ever.

Natalie Cole was the greatest, it was my husband and I first time seeing her in concert and she really rerpresented well she was beautiful and graceful. Yeah Natalie! Also uncle Charlie Wilson and KEM were our Favorites. It truly was a great line up. Think twice about bringing Monica and Kenny G. back.

The show was absolutely a great time. This was my first time at the Hampton Colliseum and every seat seemed to be good. The sound was amazing, and the food was good as well. I will be back next year to enjoy the music and have a great time!

This was an amazing concert. Everyone was spectacular. My only suggestion is that Charlie Wilson should have been first. Someone more relaxed should have ended the concert. He could have gotten the crowd hyped, but then allowed a more mellow sound to bring it home. However....this was an amazing concert.

Very nice a wonderful get away laded back old head convention and im under 35 it was filled with shopping beach fun and live jazz .the cops were cool the peaple nice book your rooms early and you can park and do you.a+++++++++++

The Hampton Jazz Festival just keeps getting better every year! This year was by far the best year out of the past 4 years I've been attending, because of the three day pass! I had great seats and I was able to enjoy the experience with the same new friends each night of the event! I was also able to copy and share a picture with one of the fans; a picture of one of the performers interacting with her because I knew she would be sitting in the same seat the next night! Now only if Mint Condition could be on the list of next year's artist ;)

Kenny G was awesome!! He was simply the best and can still make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Lalah Hathaway was great as well. Xscape didn't fit the Sunday line-up. Their music was too loud and I didn't want to see them. They definitely killed the vibe. Next time, please get in touch with Maysa. She would've set the place on fire.

I ve been going to the HJF for nine years and I ve never seen a Sunday show that slack. Kenny G is not a closer for the festival on a Sunday. Kenny G is good but that Sunday was a slack show.

The Saturday show was great! Frankie Beverly and Maze brought the house down as usual!! They did great! It was good to see Lakeside perform, Boys to Men were just okay, and Avery Sunshine did a great job!

Very disappointed in lineup. I ve been going to this event over 30 years and this was the worst! And that stunt with switching Kem and adding Xscape was unacceptable.

This was my second time attending the HJF and I went 2 nights. Kenny G was better than great! I love his interaction with the audience when entering. I think they need to change the name as there are not usually many "jazz" artists in the line-up. They line-ups need to be revamped as well.

Really enjoyed the lineup this year. However the sound quality seemed a bit off. And those seats can be a bit uncomfortable for us taller people. Overall not a deal-breaker.

Jazz Fest (Sunday) was pretty good considering that KEM did not perform due to a schedule conflict I believe was stated. I honestly feel that ESCAPE was NOT a reasonable/comparable replacement. Overall, the show was okay but was expecting more.

I attended the Sunday show with Confunkshun, Lela Hathaway, and Kenny G did great performance. However, I was disappointed with the group Escape, they're performance left much to be desired. A local artist could be in their place for performing. The performance was mediocre and did not enhance the festival. A local talent could have used to perform in their spot. Overall, the festival had some wonderful music..

Charlie Wilson was awesome, loved the costumes and the energy of Charlie. Avery Sunshine kept the audience entertained. It was great. The other acts were good as well, but these two stood out more.

They really need to look at revitalizing this event. It s very dry...it s probably time for them to look at another venue!! They should add a comedian and/or DJ in between acts. Also, I get that Kem couldn t make it for whatever reason, but he is a true headliner...replace him with a comparable artist. Who the hell wants to see Xscape 3 in place of Kem?? I literally stayed for 1 act on Sunday! Also, the artists performance times are too short, especially on Sunday. They need to consider doing a 2 day line up and just make the shows longer & give the artists time to really perform. Lastly, they need to offer a 3 - day ticket purchase option, instead of you having to buy each one separately. BOTTOM LINE: Won t be going back. I went to Jazz In the Gardens in Miami and it s an awesome event & well put together! I guess I got spoiled with my expectations.

The line up was not the same quality as in the past

Sound system in this venue is terrible, you can t hear the artist. Despite that we enjoyed the artist the best we could. The support for Frankie was amazing and he truly turned the joint out! Kenny G was awesome and would love to see him next year! I was very disappointed that KEM wasn t on the line up for Sunday because I came for KEM and Kenny G! Overall I had a great time and I look forward to next years performers!

This years line up was GREAT.. I attended all 3 nights and I really enjoyed myself. And my seats were awsome.. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again at the 52nd annual Hampton Jazz Festival.

The show was really nice Kenny G was marvelous outstanding

Too bad the organizers of the HJF didn t know their client base enough to recognize that a group like Excape couldn t replace KEM. It was unfortunate for Excape too because the audience was not interested in their style of entertainment as they re more appropriate for a crowd of a younger generation, maybe in their 30s. This type of switcharoo makes us not want to purchase tickets in advance because the lineup changed. Kenny G, Confunkshon and Leela Hathaway were excellent but they were given a lot less stage time than Excape.

The jazz festival was good on Friday and Saturday. The performance was terrible on Sunday. I did not enjoy Sunday. I usually go all three performance. People were walking out.

Venue was great as ever. Always love the artist, music was phenomenal. Kenny G came out into the audience!!! n Talk about audience participation and appreciation. And gave away a sax on top of that! Excape rebooted without Kandi was good too. Lalah Hathaway and her sultry voice out of this world... Boyz II Men awesome. Uncle Charlie is timeless!!!! Buy the tickets for NEXT YEAR!!! You won't regret it. June 28-30 2019.

Changing an artist after tickets were purchased is never cool unless the replacement is all that... The arena reflected that, could have been a decent crowd... Can't you find some good different artist for the Hampton Jazz Festival? That's it for me and my crew... I wish the festival well in the future!

Two-time GRAMMY nominated artist Kem was replaced with Xscape, a group that hasn't really preformed or recorded in decades. It was a very poor exchange for this type of event. I normally buy my tickets the 1st day Hampton Jazz Festival. This experience has taught me to wait on possible artist change. I no longer trust the promoters of this event.

We had great seats and it was easy to go online to get tickets. I wish the Coliseum would let disabled persons get their tickets a few days early like they used to do. The only problem was we were not facing the stage so your neck got a little stiff but everything else was great started timely.

I grew up with Frankie Beverly when he first came out. I'm 57 and he's 72 and he's still rocking :-)

I really enjoyed myself! All of the performers were amazing! Jazmine Sullivan killed it was always! Charlie Wilson has now made me a super fan! The way he slid across the stage was mesmerizing! The only things I would change are the lacks of music between sets and the hosts were not as energetic as what I m used to.

This was my 1st time attending and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I plan on coming back next year.

What a great weekend of music and sharing the moment with great friends. AMAZING!

It was a pure pleasure to see Brian Culbertson and Fantasia was awesome as usual.

Thoroughly enjoyed the two days I went but Fantasia shut it down and she wasn't even the headliner (O'Jays). People along with myself left after her set.

Ramsey Lewis, Patti Labelle and Frankie Beverly & Maze are all forces to be reckoned with - they brought their "A" game and wowed the masses in attendance. A wonderful mix of talent.

The Sunday show featured three icons in the music world (Ramsey Lewis, Patti LaBelle and Frankie Beverly & Maze). Ramsey Lewis sounded great in a hall that is not noted for good acoustics. Patti did her usual great singing of her hits. Frankie Beverly & Maze need a new soundman to better adjust the sound to that arena but his fans did not seem to mind. The band tries to make up for Beverly's declining vocals by being loud and suffering from too much sound enhancement and reverberation.

The weekend was wonderful. Left on Jill Scott, wasn't feeling her music and her set up by blocking the people behind the stage. Left on the OJay's they came out and killed the mood left by Fantasia. Didn't need a history lesson on the middle passage. It was a TOTAL turn off.

This was a fantastic concert! This is my second time going to the jazz festival and I am never disappointed! Five stars!

The show was great however last year was better. Trombone Shorty is magnificent every time I see him but the sound, due to technician error, made it difficult to enjoy. Johnny Gill and New Edition tried several times to correct the error with no avail. The line up was better last year!

My husband and I had a great time as always! We absolutely loved Michael McDonald, Gladice Knight, Baby Face, New Edition, Stepanie Mills and Uncle Charlie Wilson!

Sunday's closing show of the Hampton Jazz Fest did not disappoint. BWB, Fantasia and Maze were terrific.

Sunshine Avery opened the show and that woman can blow! I would love seeing her again. Eric Benet was good. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave shut the place down. And Jill Scott gets me every time. The only negative was the music was too loud so I couldn't hear the singers at times. Can't wait to see what the lineup will be next year.

This was my first time at the Hampton Jazz Festival and it wont be the last. The lineup was fantastic. I would have made Eric Benet follow Avery Sunshine on Friday. I saw him recently at the Capital Jazz Festival and his performance was lackluster also. Trombone Shorty was great and Jill Scott was a little disappointing. Her acoustics were off could not really hear her vocals and it was just overall too loud. Saturday everyone was on point.

Sunday's show was fabulous. Although Fantasia's time was reduced due to an extended performance from BWB, she still gave her all which is how she performs. But the night belonged to MAZE, who continues to energize and reinvigorate it's audiences. Not sure how much longer Frankie can hold-on, but his voice continues to mesmerize as long as you can here him!

The Sunday show was off the chain! All groups were excellent!. My first time, but it won't be my last!

Me and my girls had an awesome time at the Fest. Every performance was at its highest. Really enjoyed KEM, Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson and Frankie and Maze. Can't wait till next year. Luv my Hampton Jazz Fest.

I truly enjoyed myself and Jennifer Hudson was awesome as well as the other artists. I am a fan of J. Hudson.Thank you for making her the headliner to showcase her talent. I look forward to next yr and new artists added.

The night was full of greats from the the opening act Myra Smith to the sexiest singer every my man Kem love him and the Whispers who make old school new again and then know than the powerful vocal artistry of Ms. Jenifer Houson .

All the performers were great indeed. Trombone Shorty way simply breathtaking, refreshing and music to my soul. When he brought out Mystical I was in owe. Avery Sunshine, Jill Scott and Jennifer Hudson tore the house down with their powerful lyrics. Glad to see the Whispers get their groove on - those fellas still got. Kem is so I nspirational each and every time I see him...I can't forget about Eric Benet, whom I've seen a few years ago and again his voice was so refreshing.

My husband and I have enjoyed the HJF since 2010. We're always amazed at the raw talent and vocals! We enjoy the mature crowd and true R&B/Jazz fans. You did it once again Hampton, VA!

It was amazing - don't plan to miss any more shows!

The O'Jays was fantastic! I watched my parents sing & dance to their music growing up and I was surprised how much energy they had! Very entertaing and the vocals PURE R&B! I'm glad Chaka redeemed herself from 2-years ago. She looks great, engaged the crowd and sounded awesome! I'm a fan again and I hope to see more from Chaka!

This was my first time seeing BabyFace who 's music I grew up on. He was simply fabulous! Keep up the good work & hopefully we'll see you again with After 7 in the near future! I love Toni Braxton but I was expecting a little more of her uptempo songs & some dancing from her. Toni looks great and of course she sings amazing but she has to engage the crowd more.

A great show featuring Solo and then duo performances by Toni Braxton and Babyface. Both performers livid up to expectations of performing all their hit songs and showing a great connection with their appreciative audience.

The Hampton Jazz Fest was great! I enjoy all the acts, but the Ojays and BabyFace stood out from the rest.

Friday night was simply superb !! The blue/jazz groups were awesome

I would attend again for sure ilike the hampton area stayed at motel near by

First of all I would like to state that I was the Friday show was amazing. Charlie Wilson never disappoints you. He always gives his all. Gregory Porter and Jazmine Sullivan were good as well. Did not see first act. Saturday's show was amazing as well. Frankie Beverly and Maze are amazing. My favorite act and they proved again why l love them so much. Boys to Men were awesome. Avery Sunshine was outstanding. If this were her first performance she needs to return. She was so good. My complaint for Saturday was that you all started the show before 7:00. Totally unfair. Lakeside was on the stage for 15 minutes. Only played three songs, That is ridiculous. I did not even see them and I was looking forward to seeing them. That was crazy and totally unfair to give them only 15 minutes. A lot of people wanted to see them. Lastly, Sunday's show. Very weak. In my opinion, the only good act was Kenny G. I was told that Con Funk Shun was good. Did not see them. Lalah Hathaway was ok, Escape ok. You need a strong show to close out. That was not it. Kenny G was awesome though. Also when a major event is coming to town Hampton needs to be more prepared as far as eating places and accommodating your guests. That did not happen for me this time. Hopefully more improvements can be made in the future. Put acts together that should be together!!!!!!!

Enjoyed myself and the line up was great. I would recommend going next year!

This was my first and long awaited Frankie Beverly concert and his 17th appearance at the Hampton Jazz Fest, and he did not disappoint!!! By the end of the concert, the arena had transformed into a backyard party with nearly all of the sold out crowd (mostly dressed in Frankie s signature white) standing, singing and dancing to extended versions of 3-4 of their most popular songs, which set lasted nearly an hour. A fun and unforgettable experience, the entire performance was nearly two hours and felt more like an old school cookout or family reunion.

I really enjoyed the show! Everyone was very friendly. I can't wait until next year! My hotel stay was amazing as well!

I enjoyed everyone except Xscape, I feel KEM should have been replaced with a veterarn performer like Jeffrey Osbourne, Will Downing, Howard Hewitt, Freddie Jackson, or Peabo Bryson just to name a few. Xscape was a group that the 30 to 40 year olds would enjoy. The avearge age I saw at the festival was mid 50's.

Frankie Beverly and maze is always the right choice For the HJF.

The performance was great. I enjoyed every aspect of the performance, music, light show and dancing.

Attended all 3 days loved all the shows, Escape was okay but not really a Jazz group, just my thought. , would love to see more Jazz artist in the future.

The show was simply amazing and the atmosphere was electric. Artist put out and I loved it! Can't wait til 2019 Jazz Fest!

Each night was Awesome I will be back next year. The Ushers was very helpful in helping people find there seat. Everything was amazing

Friday had problem with sound in beginning! Late start but overall good show. My brother felt it took to long between performances. He Senior tho! Lol! I give it 4 thumbs up! The workers were polite, smiling so much, I HAD TO CHECK IF MY WALLET WAS ON ME! Just kidding! Everyone was so BEAUTIFUL! We will be coming back!

Where is the Jazz? This was our 8th year going to Hampton. We skipped Friday and went to the Saturday and Sunday shows. Loved Saturday s performers. Boys II Men were terrific. Sunday needed help. Xscape was not the solution. Lip syncing? Really? Kenny G was a great ending performer. Why didn t they have Confunction and Laila Hathaway play longer? Both were excellent and enjoyable. Festival people, you need to step up your game!

All performances were very good until Xscape came on. Xscape performance was the worst that I seem in the last 25 years. They should have came on first and only given 15 minutes to perform. The rest of their time should've been given to Con Funk Shun. Xscape pleas escape back into retirement.

Enjoyed the show tremendously,every performance was worth the money

This was a very nice event. Wish there were vendors outside so people could purchase different food items, jewelry, clothes, purses, shoes, etc. Some of the sound during the performances on Friday, were not up to par...but sounded much better on Saturday and Sunday.

Didn t like escape was not appropriate group for the jazz festival

Another great festival. The individuals selecting the performing artist sometime tend to forget this is an old school crowd and some artist will not fit in, which was the case on Sunday. But overall a great festival.

This was my first time attending the HJF and it was everything that I heard it was. Good people having a time without any issues. I attended the Friday and Saturday shows and both nights were amazing. All the performers were good and of coarse Uncle Charlie did his thing as he always do. He had everyone up dancing from the start to the end when he dropped the mic and walked off the stage. Saturday show started off great with Lakeside getting the house rocking and it never let up from there, A. Sunshine was great and Boys II Men didn't let me down either. Then came Frankie B, he came out and turned the place out. Everyone was dressed in White to for Frankie, just amazing. Everyone singing along and having a great time. I will be looking forward to next years show.

This years lineup was excellent. I went all 3 nights I have no complaints. I would like to say thank you to the crew who carefully handpicked the lineup. This was the best lineup in a long time..

I recommend a better replacement for Kem. EXSCAPE3 performance was not Hampton Jazz festival quality. All of the other acts were good.

Everything was wonderful traffic control was great the sound was great

Great show that night and Charlie Wilson was the best

Xscape was awful They re not a jazz group What happened to Kem

My first time attending the festival and what a great experience from the venue to the performers!

Venue, the coliseum seats need to be updated. Friday night was great. Charlie Wilson was great! Saturday, they rushed Lakeside off after twenty minutes.Frankie Beverly and Maze did there thing. Sunday, again they rushed Confunksion off after thirty minutes.Kenny G was good. Jazz Festival where is the Jazz?

I loved that the show started on time. It was intermission between acts which was helpful to use restrooms or get snacks. Everyone performed exceptional, I wasn't able to stay for Sunday show because I drove from NYC. If I ever decide to go again, I will take fly. It was awesome!

The lineup this year was great. However, the sound was way too loud. The vocals were drowned out by the instruments.

The line up was fantastic. The time length for the performances was great. Charlie Wilson is always good. Keep it coming. Can't wait for next year

The Friday night event was awesome, didn't really feel Gregory Porter but Uncle Charlie made of for it and indeed he did... you never are sitting always up and moving.. whats his name, first name Charlie, last name Wilson! A great show!

All the Artist did a wonderful show. My first time seeing and hearing Avery Sunshine, I am now a Fan! Charlie Wilson did his thing and I absolutely love Boyz ll Men!!! Their energy on stage was Amazing ! Frankly Beverly was great! All the Artist did not disappoint. Fun time