\u201cI don\u2019t want to knock that, because that is such a good thing,\u201d Vela told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight about the festival\u2019s longtime salsa tradition. \u201cBut I also want to expand on our Latin culture.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Summer Fest returns Aug. 7-9<\/a>, Vela and longtime Artistic Director Bruce Labadie will unveil a lineup they created together before Vela officially succeeds Labadie later this year. Alongside salsa and Latin jazz, the festival will feature artists performing cumbia, Cuban music, Chicano soul and other genres that reflect the diversity of Latino music while preserving what audiences have come to expect.<\/p>\n The 36th annual San Jose Jazz Summer Fest is expected to draw more than 30,000 attendees to downtown San Jose over three days. This year\u2019s lineup includes Grammy-winning singer Patti LaBelle, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Zapp ft. Tuxedo and more than 100 artists performing across eight outdoor stages and downtown venues.<\/p>\n Growing up in East San Jose, Vela said he moved easily between cultures. His parents, who emigrated\u00a0from Chihuahua, Mexico, filled their home with cumbias while he also gravitated toward classic rock.\u00a0Later, he discovered Latin jazz through artists including Poncho S\u00e1nchez and Chucho Vald\u00e9s.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not trying to reinvent the wheel either, but I\u2019m just trying to push the frontiers forward,\u201d Vela said. \u201cI always said that jazz is\u00a0traditions in transition, and that\u2019s kind of what I want. That\u2019s the philosophy I want to live by.\u201d<\/p>\n That philosophy extends beyond the festival\u2019s\u00a0outdoor stages. Summer Fest performances will stretch\u00a0across downtown San Jose through Club Crawl<\/a> concerts,\u00a0intimate sets at the Break Room and events at local businesses, giving attendees more opportunities to experience music outside the main festival grounds.<\/p>\n John LaFortune, president and CEO of Visit San Jose, said Summer Fest is one of the city\u2019s signature events, attracting residents and visitors while helping showcase San Jose as a world-class live music destination.<\/p>\n \u201cLarge-scale events like Summer Fest are great for our economy,\u201d LaFortune told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cThey bring visitors who, in turn, create vibrancy and support jobs, especially in the hospitality sector.\u201d<\/p>\n Downtown hotels are also preparing for festival visitors. Linh Pham, front desk supervisor at Four Points by Sheraton San Jose Downtown, said reservations typically increase during the week leading up to Summer Fest. The 86-room hotel is within walking distance of Plaza de C\u00e9sar Ch\u00e1vez<\/a>, where the festival takes place.<\/p>\n \u201cUsually (music fans) don\u2019t book right away,\u201d Pham told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cThey\u2019ll wait until about a week heading into the festival.\u201d<\/p>\n For Adolfo Gomez, co-owner of Mezcal Restaurant<\/a> and board chair of the San Jose Downtown Association,\u00a0the festival has become one of the most important weekends of the year.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s two events right now that really produce money for a restaurant like mine,\u201d Gomez told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight,\u00a0referring to Nvidia GTC and Summer Fest.<\/p>\n Mezcal has celebrated Jazz Summer Fest weekend with its \u201cSoul Sunday\u201d tradition since 2009, after a local DJ encouraged Gomez to host music during the festival. This year, the restaurant is expanding to three days of\u00a0music featuring cumbia fusion Friday, Afro-Cuban Latin jazz Saturday and DJs on Sunday, while taking over neighboring patio space to welcome more visitors.<\/p>\n Gomez said the festival has also built lasting relationships with customers who travel from cities such as Chicago, Miami and New York every year, stopping by Mezcal as part of their Summer Fest tradition.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SJSummerFest-2-1024x576.jpg\")
Christian Vela is preparing to take over as artistic director for San Jose Jazz, which hosts Jazz Summer Fest, later this year. Photo by Maryanne Casas-Perez.<\/p>\n
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