In 1954, the first Newport Jazz Festival (billed as the "First Annual American Jazz Festival") was held at Newport Casino, in the Bellevue Avenue Historic District of Newport, Rhode Island.
It incorporated academic panel discussions and featured live musical performances.

The live performances were set outdoors, on a lawn.
These performances were given by a number of notable jazz musicians, including Billie Holiday, and were emceed by Stan Kenton.

The festival was hailed by major magazines and newspapers, and some 13,000 people attended between the two days.
In general, the festival was regarded as a major success.

In 1955, organizers were planning a second year for the festival but needed to find a new venue.
The Newport Casino would not again host the festival since its lawn and other facilities did not stand up well to such a large event.
Festival backer Elaine Lorillard, with her husband, purchased "Belcourt", a large estate which was available locally, in hopes of hosting the festival there.
However, the neighborhood disallowed that plan, citing concerns about potential disturbance.
Consequently, the workshops and receptions were held at Belcourt, while the music was presented at Freebody Park, an arena for sports near the casino.

Some Newport residents were opposed to the festival.
Jazz appreciation was not common within the established upper-class community, and the festival brought crowds of younger music fans to Newport.
Many attendees were students who, in the absence of sufficient lodging, slept outdoors wherever they could, with or without tents.
Newport was at first not accustomed to this.
Traffic gridlock and other contention near the downtown venue were legitimate concerns.
Moreover, many of the musicians and their fans were African American.
Racist attitudes were probably a factor in some residents' opposition to the festival too as it commonly was across the country at that time.

Nonetheless, the festival continued annually and increased in popularity, aided in part by 1958 concert footage released as the documentary film Jazz on a Summer's Day the following year.
In 1954, the first Newport Jazz Festival (billed as the "First Annual American Jazz Festival") was held at Newport Casino, in the Bellevue Avenue Historic District of Newport, Rhode Island. It incorporated academic panel discussions and featured live musical performances.
The live performances were set outdoors, on a lawn. These performances were given by a number of notable jazz musicians, including Billie Holiday, and were emceed by Stan Kenton.
The festival was hailed by major magazines and newspapers, and some 13,000 people attended between the two days. In general, the festival was regarded as a major success.
In 1955, organizers were planning a second year for the festival but needed to find a new venue. The Newport Casino would not again host the festival since its lawn and other facilities did not stand up well to such a large event. Festival backer Elaine Lorillard, with her husband, purchased "Belcourt", a large estate which was available locally, in hopes of hosting the festival there. However, the neighborhood disallowed that plan, citing concerns about potential disturbance. Consequently, the workshops and receptions were held at Belcourt, while the music was presented at Freebody Park, an arena for sports near the casino.
Some Newport residents were opposed to the festival. Jazz appreciation was not common within the established upper-class community, and the festival brought crowds of younger music fans to Newport. Many attendees were students who, in the absence of sufficient lodging, slept outdoors wherever they could, with or without tents. Newport was at first not accustomed to this. Traffic gridlock and other contention near the downtown venue were legitimate concerns. Moreover, many of the musicians and their fans were African American. Racist attitudes were probably a factor in some residents' opposition to the festival too as it commonly was across the country at that time.
Nonetheless, the festival continued annually and increased in popularity, aided in part by 1958 concert footage released as the documentary film Jazz on a Summer's Day the following year.
Newport Jazz Festival