Newport Jazz Festival
Visit one of the oldest music festivals in the USA! Combine the comfort of your RV with the Newport Jazz Festival excitement in Newport, Rhode Island.
Event information
The Newport Jazz Festival 2025 runs August 1-3 at Fort Adams State Park, featuring three days of world-class jazz across four stages with stunning Newport Harbor views. While no on-site RV camping exists at Fort Adams, over 15 excellent campgrounds within 30 minutes provide the perfect base for your jazz adventure. Top options include Meadowlark Campground in nearby Middletown (15 minutes away) and Newport RV Park in Portsmouth (just 5 miles from Newport). Water shuttles, bikes, and RIPTA buses offer easy festival access from most campgrounds, while the festival's digital-only ticketing through the DICE app requires smartphone entry. For RV travelers seeking the ultimate music festival experience, Newport combines America's longest-running jazz tradition with exceptional camping facilities and seamless transportation options, letting you focus on the incredible performances.
What Makes Newport Jazz Festival Special for RV Travelers?
The Newport Jazz Festival, first held in 1954, stands as one of America's oldest and most prestigious music festivals. Taking place at historic Fort Adams State Park, the festival offers breathtaking panoramic views of Newport Harbor and the iconic Newport Bridge. Four distinct stages showcase legendary artists alongside emerging talent, while the festival's intimate 50,000-person capacity creates an unmatched atmosphere of musical community.
For your Newport jazz adventure, explore Newport RV rentals perfectly positioned for festival access, or consider Providence RV rentals just 45 minutes away for extended Rhode Island exploration.
When and Where is the Newport Jazz Festival Held?
- Dates: August 1-3, 2025
- Location: Fort Adams State Park, 90 Fort Adams Drive, Newport, RI 02840
- Hours: Daily 10 am-10 pm (times subject to change)
- Attendance: 50,000+ visitors over three days
Tickets
How Much Does the Newport Jazz Festival Cost?
Newport Jazz Festival offers various ticket tiers from general admission to premium Jazz Lounge packages. Weekend passes with full access typically range from $170-450, depending on stage access and seating preferences. The exclusive Jazz Lounge provides air-conditioned restrooms, complimentary WiFi, panoramic harbor views, and lounge seating for the ultimate festival experience.
Students aged 10-25 receive significant discounts with a valid ID. Check the official Newport Jazz Festival website for updated ticket information and pricing.
How Do I Rent an RV Near Newport for the Festival?
Newport and surrounding areas offer excellent RV rental options, from compact Class B campervans perfect for navigating coastal roads to spacious travel trailers ideal for extended festival weekends.
Most Rhode Island RV rental locations are strategically positioned within 45 minutes of Newport, with convenient access via I-95 and Route 138. This means you can pick up your RV and reach the festival area within an hour of arrival.
Book your RV rental well in advance, especially for August dates, as summer is peak season for New England RV travel.
Explore Newport Jazz Festival RV Rentals
Transportation
Driving
The Newport Jazz Festival takes place at Fort Adams State Park; the precise address is 90 Fort Adams Drive, Newport, RI, 02840. Only one and a half-hour drive from Boston and a three-hour-long drive from New York, the location of this event is easily accessible through several different routes. If traveling from the New York area, you might use I-95, and if Boston is your starting point, you may travel on I-93 or I-95 to come close to the area and find your chosen campground. Newport Jazz Festival doesn’t offer RV camping spots, but you can drive 15-30 minutes down Harrison Avenue to find nearby campgrounds.
Parking areas
Parking passes will be available on the event grounds. However, guests cannot park RV units there, so you will have to find a spot at the nearby camping resorts. If you have a tow vehicle that you desire to use once settled at your campsite or are taking another car with you, it is good to know that the festival offers one-day, two-day and three-day parking tickets available for purchase. Smaller campervan-style units may also be okay to park at the event.
Public Transportation
Fans can get to The Newport Jazz Festival via taxi, bike, or water shuttle. There are multiple points from which you can get to Fort Adams if going on a water shuttle. There will be a lot of options as well for people who want to be eco-friendly and swap their cars for a pleasant bike ride. Looking to explore Rhode Island while in the area? The geography of the region includes inlets blended with land features, lending well to water taxis over other forms of public transportation.
RIPTA buses serve the Newport area with convenient stops near major campgrounds and downtown Newport. Biking remains popular among festival-goers, with dedicated bike parking available at Fort Adams and scenic coastal routes from most campgrounds.
Where to stay
Onsite
Fort Adams State Park does not accommodate RV parking during the festival. However, Newport's surrounding areas offer exceptional RV camping options that put you within easy reach of the festival while providing modern amenities and coastal charm.
Nearby
Meadowlark Campground in Middletown provides the closest convenient option, just 15 minutes from Fort Adams. This family-friendly campground offers water, sewer, and electrical hookups with grassy sites and laundry facilities, plus easy access to Newport's famous Cliff Walk.
Newport RV Park in Portsmouth sits just 5 miles from historical Newport, offering spacious sites for all RV sizes with modern amenities and proximity to beaches and attractions.
Wawaloam Campground provides a charming family-owned experience with elegant camping spaces, full hookups, and wireless internet, plus exciting features like waterslides and a splash park.
Discover more options at Rhode Island campgrounds for comprehensive listings throughout the Ocean State.
Getting around
Although it is highly recommended to ride a bike to the location, guests cannot bring them inside the festival area. The same goes for scooters, rollerblades, or skateboards. However, if you are traveling with a baby, it may help to know that all strollers of reasonable size are allowed. Visitors with a disability can access a separated area that is reachable by a paved road. It is important to mention that each disabled visitor can bring only one guest to this area.
What to pack
Clothing
Bringing the right clothes can mean the difference between a perfect vacation and a less than ideal adventure. Rhode Island is near the Atlantic Coast, including the concert location. Pack light clothes that are fit for hot summer days in the open air, but bear in mind that sudden rain showers are not unusual. It is best to have a light rain jacket with you since you will not be allowed to return to the festival once you leave. As always, check the weather forecast before your trip and plan your attire accordingly.
Gear
Review Newport Jazz Festival's list to make sure that you don’t have any prohibited items on you before approaching the entrance. For example, it is always smart to bring a bag (check the website for the permitted size) with additional clothing, ID, an individual blanket or a smaller chair. However, any item that can be used as a weapon is highly prohibited. Cameras are also allowed so long as they are without the audio recording feature. Selfie sticks and drones cannot be brought onto the festival grounds.
Health & Safety
The Newport Jazz Festival supports a non-smoking environment. Guests are not permitted to smoke inside a tent or a building. To keep all the festival-goers safe, the event doesn’t allow re-entry, meaning that once you leave the festival you cannot come back for that day. Because this is a summer event, make sure that you always have water and sunscreen with you to avoid dehydration and sunburns.
Where to eat
Cooking
Since there are no onsite RV parking options, cooking is not an option at this festival itself. That should not stop you from preparing homemade meals while you are at your RV resort. Bring a propane stove or a grill or plan to enjoy the stove in your camper, and the cooking can begin. If you do get hungry while listening to your favorite jazz band, various food vendors sell delicious meals at the Newport Jazz Festival.
Restaurants
Each year the Newport Jazz Festival is the gathering place for extraordinary restaurants and food vendors, who take great pride in their kitchens and their chefs. However, if you want a break from the crowd, and do not plan to return that day, there are fabulous restaurants just 15 minutes from Fort Adams. You can expect to find local cuisine places as well as those that serve French and Italian meals.
Vendors
As mentioned, fans can expect only the best food and beverage vendors at the Newport Jazz Festival. The assortment of food varies from year to year, but you will relish the top-notch food in the area. Visitors over 21 years of age will be granted entrance to the beer and wine gardens. Organizers implore all visitors to drink cautiously. Both cash and credit cards are accepted in the gardens. Additionally, vendors of different crafts can be seen at this jazz event. Guests can choose among an abundance of unique jewelry, art, clothing, and more for that special gift or souvenir.
Safety
Security
All visitors will be thoroughly searched upon entry, so make sure you are not carrying any prohibited items. Anything that could be considered a weapon is not permitted by the organizers, as well as alcoholic beverages and illegal substances of any kind. The Newport Jazz Festival aims toward the general safety and well-being of every guest; this is part of their policy against re-entry.
Weather
For the end of July and the beginning of August, one can expect hot, summer days, and warm nights with an occasional breeze. On the other hand, it is not unheard of that massive rain strikes even at this time of year. So it would be for the best to check the weather forecast before heading over to Newport Harbor so that you can pack accordingly. The Newport Jazz Festival is held rain or shine, so you will want to be prepared for both scenarios.
Medical
It is always a smart idea to bring a few basic medications with you (stomachache, headache) in your RV. Keep in mind that there are not so many hospitals in the vicinity and that the nearest hospital is about a 10-minute drive away from Newport Harbor. Contact the staff immediately in this case, and let them assist you in the event of an emergency.
