Shorty Fest 2025 Centered Music, Community With Trombone Shorty’s Lead

In New Orleans, music has kept the spirit of the city alive. With his annual festival, Trombone Shorty recognized the importance of maintaining culture with mentorship and performance. At Shorty Fest 2025 presented by Acura, jazz, blues, and alternative sounds were highlighted as a community uplifted its own.

Trombone Shorty, real name Troy Andrews, launched the Trombone Shorty Foundation in 2011 with executive director Bill Taylor. Together with an esteemed group of staff, the duo collaborate to ensure the next generation of New Orleans talent inherits the tradition of music, whether it be performance and instrumentation or the industry’s business side through the Trombone Shorty Academy.

The pride Andrews displayed in his students is almost as radiant as their own confidence, which is fortified by the program. On a Zoom call ahead of the annual event, multiple participants explained how the after-school program offers a safe space and a boost in self-esteem.

“It’s always a surprise. There are always some kids that come up there and blow us away,” Andrews explained in his anticipation for this year’s Shorty Fest to VIBE. “It’s always a blessing to see their smiles, and the excitement of [me] standing next to them.”

In the previous weekend leading up to the event, media guests, including VIBE, experienced New Orleans with the assistance of Trombone Shorty and Acura. Visits to local landmarks, including Dooky Chase, the annual Jazz Festival, and an intimate rehearsal with the Trombone Shorty Foundation, painted a full picture of the creative energy that bubbles through the rich, historical streets.

Shorty Fest 2025 kicked off on a humid Monday evening with a block party, Big Easy style, at the legendary Tipitina’s. The outdoor events, open to the public, included a thunderous band battle between G.W. Carver and Abramson Sci Academy, and performances from all skill levels of Trombone Shorty Foundation students.

Additionally, there was a special moment honoring the memory of Caleb Wilson, the Southern University student who was tragically killed during an alleged hazing incident. Wilson was a past participant in the Trombone Shorty Foundation program.

The night continued, moving indoors for a ticketed event where proceeds benefit the foundation. Performances from Black Opry Revue, “The Jersey Takeover” with Dogs in a Pile and special guests Robert Randolph and Jake Clemons (of the E Street Band Tour), and students from the Trombone Shorty Academy, kept a lively audience on its feet all night long.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue closed the night after a bourbon-filled interlude. The Treme neighborhood representative arrived to friends, family, and fans lined up at the street corner awaiting the musician’s entrance.  He pulled up in the ADX A-Spec, a new, sleek release from the presenting brand on display throughout the affair.

Dozens flocked for hugs, daps, handshakes, and introductions from Trombone Shorty, signifying the level of admiration he has among his own. Once he took the stage, the love was echoed through endless applause as another Shorty Fest reached its end.

Take a look below at images from Shorty Fest 2025 presented by Acura.