The festival will include a day of free performances on the Mall and concerts at the Lincoln Theater, the Kennedy Center, and clubs and restaurants throughout the city.

"We are honored to sponsor and host this great event, which pays tribute to the legendary Duke Ellington—a proud native Washingtonian and one of the most important and celebrated musical geniuses of the 20th century," said Washington mayor Anthony A. Williams, honorary chairman of the festival. "As this festival grows over the years, we hope it will be a tourist boon for the city, attracting a diverse audience of music enthusiasts from across the country."

The first festival will include the creation of a Washington Jazz Hall of Fame and an annual Duke Ellington Lifetime Achievement Award.