Folly Jazz Festival status: Not currently scheduled.
The festival hasn’t been held in recent years. The most recent one we can find was in November 2016. If it returns, we’ll update this page with the date and details.
For several years, the Folly Jazz Festival filled a November weekend with free jazz on Folly Beach. It isn’t happening right now, but here’s what it was like and where to hear live music on Folly instead.
What the Folly Jazz Festival Was Like
Presented by Jazz on the Edge, the festival was free to the public and celebrated the Lowcountry’s jazz heritage, from Charleston-born musicians Tom Delaney and Freddie Green to George Gershwin, who found inspiration nearby for “Summertime.” It also nodded to Folly’s own history, when big bands played on the pier in the 1940s.
The weekend opened with an invitation-only party on Friday night, followed by full days of performances on Saturday and Sunday. Past lineups included Gino Castillo’s Cuban Connection, Ann Caldwell, the Charleston School of the Arts Big Band, the Bob Albert Trio, Starr Acheson, the Marcus Helander Band, the Festival Big Band, Simon Harding’s Hard Bop Quintet, the Todd Beals Quartet, the Charleston Southern University Jazz Band, Wilton Elder and Warren Vaché.
Live Music on Folly Beach Now
- Folly Beach Porchfest (early November): a free, all-day music festival with local bands playing on porches and in backyards around the island.
- Moonlight Mixers (May–September): beach music and shag dancing on the Folly Beach Pier.
- Any night of the week: see our guides to the top spots for live music on Folly Beach and Folly Beach music venues.
For everything else coming up on the island, see our Folly Beach events calendar.
