Northseajazzhotels

Photo gallery

Home > About NSJF > Growth of the festival in the Hague

Growth of the festival in the Hague

The first edition of the North Sea Jazz Festival, originally the brainchild of the Dutch jazz promoter Paul Acket, took place in 1976 in the Netherlands Congress Centre in The Hague. That very first year the festival featured performances by jazz legends like Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, and an (almost) complete overview of the Dutch avant-garde.

Over the next 29 years the North Sea Jazz Festival has developed into a major happening of truly international proportions: a growth to 15 concert venues, more than 1200 participating musicians annually and an audience attendance of around 70.000 each year. The year 1989 saw the introduction of a new 'North Sea' tradition: the children's jazz matinee 'Gigs for Kids'. One year later two other successful events were first introduced: 'North Sea Jazz Heats The Hague', a free festival on 3 open air stages and in many pubs in the centre of The Hague, and the exclusive 'Midsummer Jazz Gala'. Both events are on the eve of the festival itself. Some of the first-class musicians to have appeared at the gala over the years include Oscar Peterson, Tony Bennett, Lou Rawls, Herbie Hancock, and Dee Dee Bridgewater & Ray Brown Trio.

Extra information

Facebook

North Sea Jazz Hotels on Facebook

NSJ Hotels on Facebook

Public Transportation

Rotterdam Welcome Card incl. 3-Day Public Transportation Ticket

Rotterdam Welcome Card incl. 3-Day Public Transportation Ticket from Friday morning to Sunday evening! EURO 16,50 per ticket

Buy tickets