The National Jazz Festival is the longest running Jazz Festival in the Southern Hemisphere and the third oldest in the world. For 47 years the Festival has entertained hundreds of thousand of residents and visitors to the Bay of Plenty region.

Regarded as an iconic event in this country, the Festival attracts more than 60,000 people to events during the long Easter weekend.

The Festival has a triple focus:

• quality jazz in the concert series at Baycourt Theatre
• community entertainment at outdoor venues in Downtown Tauranga (The Strand and Red Square), the new Jazz Village at Tauranga's Historic Village and other venues around the city
• New Zealand's most prestigious Youth Jazz competition (since 1978), the Port of Tauranga Youth Jazz Competition

People behind the Festival

Festival Director – Arne Herrmann

With more than a decade of experience in Arts and Festival Management Arne has worked as Marketing Director of the New Zealand International Arts Festival (Wellington), the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, UNITEC School of Performing and Screen Arts and Manager of the contemporary dance company The Human Garden. During this time he worked with many international artists including Grammy award winners Pat Metheny and Ornette Coleman, Natalie Cole, Mavis Staples and Meat Loaf.

Artistic Director – Liam Ryan

Renown New Zealand keyboardist and songwriter Liam Ryan made his name with The Narcs in the 1980s. He has recorded several albums including his recent release Mississippi 2 Mauao. Musically he has returned to his roots playing keyboards and Hammond organ as a session player touring recently with local and international artists including Charlie Musselwhite, Midge Marsden, Long John Baldry and Robben Ford. Liam presently holds a lecturing position at Waikato University.

Administration Manager – Jo Bond

For many years now Jo has been known as Ms Festival in Tauranga. She is the pivotal Festival management link for the National Jazz Festival, the Tauranga Arts Festival and the Garden and Art Festival, for which she is now a Co-Director.

Project Manager Global Breakthrough – Jamie Joseph

After spending 5 years at Microsoft London to develop one of the biggest content platforms in the world, MSN, Jamie decided to take her knowledge in global marketing, global differences and global common interests to the stage. Jamie launched the Global Breakthrough Experience staged her Festivals in Cape Town, South Africa. For the following five years Jamie Joseph lived and breathed the festival lifestyle producing over 5 annual festivals on two different continents and countless other events in various unique locations that have included a wine estate, luxury yacht, a warehouse an aquarium and even in a castle.