Nestled in the beautiful city of Rotterdam in Holland, one may not expect to witness the biggest arena Festival in the world, but North Sea Jazz Festival, or NSJ, is one of the most formidable music events on the festival scene. Attracting artists from around the world, and seen as a platform for emerging artists who are soon to blow, NSJ has established itself as a heavyweight event in the Jazz, Soul, Funk and hip hop scene.

Every year the line up will have you running back and forth between stages, catching some of the best music around. 2018’s festival, which we were lucky enough to be invited to, had an amazing line up with over 150 acts over the course of the festival, based at Rotterdam Ahoy! The line up most notably featured The Roots, Anderson Paak, N.E.R.D., Maxwell, Tom Misch, Cee-Lo, Snarky Puppy, Robert Glasper, Ezra Collective, Aloe Blacc and so many more.

This year is no different, with the line up including another stellar roster from all facets of our wonderful musical community, including:
- The Internet
- Braxton Cook
- Lauryn Hill
- Jorja Smith
- Macy Gray
- Robert Glasper and friends
- Masego
- Mahalia
- Tank and The Bangas

And seriously, this is just to name a few! The beautiful thing with NSJ is the vibe created during the weekend. Many of the artists stick around for the weekend, and feature in their friends performances, so expect to see surprise guests and appearances throughout the event.

If you’re looking for an early summer break, book an Air BNB in one of Holland’s most interesting and diverse cities (with great streetwear, music, food and architecture), which features free stages around the city supporting local artists, and get involved in a festival unlike any other.

For more info and tickets, check out www.northseajazz.com

Images and words by James Kennaby