Exhibition about 50 years North Sea Jazz
Aug. 26, 2026
This year, the leading musical festival North Sea Jazz is celebrating its 50th anniversary. On the occasion of this landmark, Kunsthal Rotterdam is collaborating with North Sea Jazz and main partner Nationale-Nederlanden to present the exhibition 50 Years North Sea Jazz Photography. From 5 September, work by photographers Paul Bergen, Rico D'Rozario, and Andreas Terlaak, who have been capturing the festival throughout the years, will be shown in the Kunsthal’s Hall 7.
This past summer, Her Majesty Queen Máxima opened the anniversary edition of NN North Sea Jazz Festival, which was held at Ahoy Rotterdam on 10, 11, and 12 July. Fifty years ago, the first edition took place at the Nederlands Congresgebouw in The Hague. The opening statistics: six concert halls, three hundred musician, and nine thousand visitors. The festival has since evolved into a major international event. It is renowned for its programme featuring the biggest names in jazz history, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock and Wynton Marsalis, as well as famous soul and blues artists like James Brown, Ray Charles, Prince, Erykah Badu, Alicia Keys, and B.B. King.
New talent
The festival furthermore offers new talent a platform. Artists who later made a name for themselves, such as Roy Hargrove, Jacob Collier, Ibrahim Maalouf, Gregory Porter, and Amy Winehouse, all made their festival debut at North Sea Jazz, performing in one of the festival’s many smaller concert venues at the beginning of their careers. Adele and D'Angelo also made their festival debuts at North Sea Jazz. The presentation 50 Years North Sea Jazz Photography transports Kunsthal visitors to the festival with behind-the-scenes images and photographs of iconic performances.
Collaboration
The exhibition is realised in collaboration with North Sea Jazz and Nationale-Nederlanden, main partner of Kunsthal Rotterdam and of NN North Sea Jazz Festival.
Read more about the exhibition
