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Denver Jazz Festival 2025!


  • The Studio Loft at Ellie Caulkins Opera House 980 14th St Denver, CO (map)

SAVE THE DATE

Join us for a live music festival September 12th-14th 2025!

A full weekend of nationally-renowned artists, swing dancing, and performances!

Tickets will be on sale via AXS starting this summer!

Options will be:

Full Weekend Pass
Includes all 4 events Friday Night, Saturday Night,
Sunday Twilight, and Sunday Night!

Friday Night Only
7:30-Midnight - 8p Swing Dance Lesson
9p Eyal Vilner & His Hot 5
The Studio Loft
Social dancing to band and DJs
Solo Jazz Contest
Theme Costume Contest: TBA
(Cash bar and snacks available.)

Saturday Night Only
7:30-Midnight - 8p Interactive Musical Lesson w/Eyal
9p Eyal Vilner Swing Band
The Studio Loft
Social dancing to band and DJs
Lindy Hop Couples Contest
Dance Performances!
Theme Costume Contest: TBA
(Cash bar and snacks available.)

Sunday Twilight
4:30-7:30p - Jeremy Mohney & His Band
The Curtis Hotel, 3rd Floor Four Square Ballroom
Social dancing to band and DJs
(Cash bar and food available.)

Sunday Night
9p-Midnight - Ian Hutchison’s Colorado Band feat. Sweet B
The Studio Loft
Two Mix & Match Dance Contests
Theme Costume Contest: TBA
After Hours Dance Party

The Denver Jazz Festival is three nights of world-class live music held in the Mile High City, Denver Colorado, and hosted by CMDance and the Denver Arts Venues.

Our one-of-a-kind vintage music festival focuses primarily on vintage jazz and blues of the 1920’s, 1930’s & 1940’s. Social dancing, performances, theme nights, contests, and more!

This year’s bands are: Eyal Vilner & His Hot 5, The Eyal Vilner Swing Band, Jeremy Mohney & His Band, and Ian Hutchison’s Colorado Band featuring Sweet B

The venue features a spacious dance floor, full cash bar w/snacks, and there are workshops and lectures available from internationally renowned instructors during the daytime hours through our sister events Lindy on the Rocks & Hot Night Fusion Weekend.. (NOTE: To attend the daytime dance classes, you must purchase an All Access Pass via the Lindy on the Rocks ticketing!)

RSVP to our Facebook event for updates!

Like our Facebook page for all event details: CLICK HERE

2024 Artists
Venues
Sponsors
Schedule

2025 Featured Bands and All-Star Artists:

eyal vilner & his hot 5
and
the eyal vilner swing band

Eyal Vilner has become one of the leading new voices in the New York swing and big band scene. Born in Tel Aviv, saxophonist, clarinetist, flutist, composer and bandleader Eyal Vilner moved to New York in 2007 and started his big band the following year. 

The Eyal Vilner Big Band has been performing widely at some of New York’s landmarks such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Midsummer Night Swing, Birdland, Dizzy's Club, Smalls Jazz Club, Minton’s Playhouse, The Django, Battle of the Big Bands on the Intrepid, Swing ReMix, Swing 46  and Central Park SummerStage.

Internationally, Eyal has performed on Israel's most prestigious stages such as the Red Sea Jazz Festival, Tel Aviv Museum, Jerusalem Theater, The Tel Aviv Jazz Festival as well as the historical La Bellevilloise, Caveau des Oubliettes and Caveau de la Huchette in Paris.

The big band performs Eyal’s new arrangements of jazz and swing tunes as well as his original compositions. Their music, which derives from the tradition of jazz, swing and the blues, strives to bring a unique voice to this beautiful art form. The big band’s first four albums: Introducing the Eyal Vilner Big Band, Almost Sunrise, Hanukkah and Swing Out! received rave reviews and made it to the Top Jazz Radio Charts of the US and Canada.

The Eyal Vilner Big Band has collaborated with some of the top jazz legends of our time including NEA Jazz Masters Frank Wess, Jimmy Heath and Jimmy Owens, and pianist Junior Mance. 

Gabe Mervine’s Jazz Band Featuring Sweet B

Bio TBA

Sweet B

Sweet B (and Her Moonshine Gang) is a new band that features some of Denver's finest Jazz musicians. Taking inspiration from swing greats, we love to play for dancers and keep you on the dance floor. As a veteran Lindy Hopper, bandleader and vocalist Brittney knows what dancers are looking for. Having such a fine collaboration of talented musicians, Sweet B and Her Moonshine Gang knows how to entertain the non-dance audience. Enjoy being transported back into the swing era and don't be shy if the rhythm makes you want to move your feet.

Intro to swing dance lesson

Jazz music was meant to be danced to! The Denver Jazz Festival is a part of CMDance’s Lindy on the Rocks weekend, and people will be coming to participate in the event ready to D.A.N.C.E! If you want to be a part of the action, come for our introduction to swing dance lesson Friday night from 8-9pm; this is included in your event ticket!

Interactive Workshop w/Eyal Vilner

In this 1 hour interactive workshop, Eyal will teach a method of communication and share exercises between dancers and musicians. This workshop will explore the two languages of dance and music, helping you to better express sound with movement and movement with sound.

Studio Loft at Ellie Caulkins Opera House

1400 CURTIS STREET, DENVER, CO 80202

The Studio Loft is an 8,000 sq ft performance, rehearsal and event space with a cathedral ceiling, exposed brick, warm-colored walls, a 3,000sf wood dance floor. The Studio Loft is located in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Venue has ample dance space, limited seating, and a bar for you to enjoy the music each evening.

PARKING: There is metered street parking surrounding the building, and the DCPA has their own parking garage. CLICK HERE for info. The Curtis Hotel is across the street.

The Curtis Hotel
1405 CURTIS STREET DENVER, COLORADO 80202 USA

Sunday Twilight Dance Venue!
3rd Floor: Four Square Ballroom
**Across the street from the Loft venue!

Attending the whole weekend and want to stay downtown?

Click HERE for the discounted hotel room rate through CMDance at the Curtis Hotel right across the street!

The Denver Jazz Festival is brought to you by Community-Minded Dance, aka CMDance.

We rely on our loyal sponsors, partners and our incredible dancers from all over the world to keep our organization intact. With your support we are able to fulfill our mission of building healthy, thriving communities through world-class arts education programs that bring the global culture of both solo and partnered vernacular dancing to Colorado youth and adults.

We encourage your support of CMDance through The Denver Jazz Festival. We sincerely hope you will make a commitment to partner with us in sponsorship of this event which not only strengthens our relationship but will surely add the success of your organization.

Thank you to our loyal sponsors for over 15 years!

Denver Arts & Venues

National Endowment for the Arts

Bonfils Stanton Foundation

Hawley Family Foundation

Ann Ehli

Lynn Herrington

Colorado Creative Industries

Colorado Gives Day Donors

Sticker Mule

Full Schedule for all three festivals that run in conjunction with each other.

(Schedule Subject to Change)

Friday
7:30pm Doors Open to General Admission
8:00pm Intro to Lindy Hop (Swing) Dance Class
9:00 pm Eyal Vilner and His Hot 5
12:00am Event Ends
**Special dance performances throughout the night

Saturday
7:30pm Doors Open at the Studio Loft
8:00pm Interactive Musicality Lesson w/Eyal
9-12pm The Eyal Vilner Big Band
12:00am Event Ends
**Special dance performances throughout the night

Sunday

7:30pm Doors Open at the Studio Loft
8pm Swing dance or musician lesson, TBA

9-12pm Gabe Mervine’s Jazz Band featuring Sweet B
12:00am Event Ends
**Special dance performances throughout the night

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO BUY TICKETS!

Full Weekend Pass includes:
- 3 nights of live music and social dancing at the Denver Jazz Festival.
- Intro to Swing Dance class Friday night before the band.
- Interactive musicality lesson with Eyal Vilner himself Saturday night before the band.
- Performances by local and national swing dancers every night, including a show on Saturday night!


Individual Tickets for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday events will also be available!

Friday Night:

  • Ellie Caulkins Studio Loft (Bar Available)

  • 8-9p Swing Dance Lesson

  • 9p-Midnight Social Dance to Live Music with Eyal Vilner & His Hot 5

  • Contests & Performances during band breaks!

Saturday Night:

  • Ellie Caulkins Studio Loft (Bar Available)

  • 8-9p Interactive Musicality Lesson with Eyal Vilner

  • 9p-Midnight Social Dance to Live Music with the Eyal Vilner Swing Band

  • Contests & Performances during band breaks!

Sunday Night:

  • 8-9pm Musician Talk or Intro to swing dance lesson, TBA

  • 9p-Midnight Main Social dance @ the Studio Loft with Gabe Mervine’s Jazz Band featuring Sweet B

  • Contests & Performances during band breaks!

Previous
September 12

Hot Night Fusion Weekend 2025!
Next
September 12

Lindy on the Rocks 2025!