Cherry Blossom, Jazz, and Passport DC – What’s Happening Events & Festivals in Washington, DC in 2024

The USA’s capital of Washington, DC is much more than just the political seat of power, with countless attractions including world-renowned museums, historic monuments and some of the best restaurants and hotels in the United States. Alongside these, the city is host to a selection of incredible festivals throughout the year.

Visitors can immerse themselves in the natural beauty of Cherry Blossom season as they wander along the iconic cityscapes, experience unique cultures from across the world during Passport DC, or celebrate the city’s illustrious history of jazz music at DC Jazz Festival. Timing a visit to Washington, DC with any of these festivals will make a trip even more memorable.

Below you will find an overview of the top five can’t miss events and festivals taking place in the District this year.

Japan isn’t the only place to find the beautiful bloom of cherry blossom. In 1912 Tokyo’s Mayor Yukio Ozaki gifted DC with cherry blossom trees and now each spring over 3,000 of the trees bloom across the city. Washington, DC celebrates with the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival, featuring events honouring American and Japanese cultures. Highlights include the Opening Ceremony and Blossom Kite Festival, Petalpalooza, the annual Parade and the Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival. For more information, visit: https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

With over 170 embassies from across the world, Washington, DC has one of the world’s most thriving international communities. Passport DC celebrates this diversity and offers the opportunity to discover different cultures through street festivals, performances, exhibitions, workshops, and more. One of the most popular aspects of Passport DC is the opportunity to travel the world without leaving the city as embassies spanning 5 continents open to the public. A highlight is the annual Fiesta Asia Street Fair featuring performing arts and culinary delights.

Capital Pride is one of the most vibrant and lively times to visit DC, celebrating the city’s LGBTQ+ community over one action-packed weekend. Festivities will kick off with the Capital Pride parade with participants marching a nearly 2.5-kilometre route through DC. The Pride Festival is an epic affair with entertainment across three stages, food, beverages and over 300 exhibitors. Best of all, the festival is free! For more information, visit: https://www.capitalpride.org/

Organised by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and taking place for two weeks each summer, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival unites visitors from across the world on Washington, DC’s National Mall. The free festival honours contemporary living cultural traditions and includes programmes of music, song, dance, celebratory performance, traditional crafts and cooking demonstrations, storytelling, illustrations of workers’ culture and narrative sessions for discussing cultural issues. Having first taken place in 1967, the festival has since featured participants from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. The 2024 edition of the festival will celebrate the indigenous voices of the Americas and the National Museum of the American Indian. For more information, visit: https://festival.si.edu/

Immerse yourself in one of America’s national treasures and celebrate the iconic sounds of jazz music at the 20th annual DC Jazz Festival. Over 100 jazz musicians including globally renowned masters and exciting newcomers from the jazz community will be performing at DC venues throughout the weekend. DC’s waterfront neighbourhood The Wharf comes alive with the sound of music with an epic outdoor stage and free tickets available. Keep an eye out for this year’s line up to be announced. For more information, visit: https://www.dcjazzfest.org/