In Pictures: North Sea Jazz Festival archive

Concert photos of George Clinton, Sun Ra and more, taken by Paul Bergen.

Originating in 1976, the North Sea Jazz Festival has been bringing the world’s greatest jazz, soul, R&B and blues artists to European audiences for the best part of 50 years.

Founded by Paul Acket, the festival has hosted events across The Hague, Rotterdam and New Orleans and has grown to become the world’s largest indoor music festival.

Ahead of the 2024 edition this July, we dive into the North Sea Jazz Festival’s extensive photo archive, with iconic shots taken by photographer Paul Bergen, all the way back to 1985.

Fats Domino (1985)

Miles Davis (1989)

George Clinton (1990)

Sun Ra (1990)

Etta James (1991)

BB King (1993)

Ray Charles (1997)

Bootsy Collins (1998)

Louie Bellson (1999)

Joselyn Brown (1999)

Al Green (1999)

Dee Dee Bridgewater (2002)

Joe Zawinul (2002)

The North Sea Jazz Festival 2024 runs from July 12 to 14. Tickets are on sale now.