Jill Scott is having quite a year so far.
Her new album, To Whom This May Concern, her first proper album release in over ten years, is reaching global audiences new and old, offering the 53-year old singer, songwriter, and poet the rare career Renaissance opportunity. Scott's insta-classic NPR Tiny Desk Concert appearance just a few weeks ago has already racked up close to 1.5 million views.
On full display in this intimate performance is her infectious positive energy combines effortless grace and talent with the evidence of hard work and a solid mindset around her creativity.
Scott has also announced a string of tour dates that will take her unique, soulful sound from the US to the UK and Europe all the way to South Africa. The tour includes a few multi-day residencies in Washington DC, Brooklyn, Chicago, and Scott's hometown of Philadelphia.
Since her debut album, Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1 came out in 2000, she's built a legacy at the intersection of neo-soul music, spoken-word poetry, Black womanhood, and artistic independence. She helped shape a generation of music that centered emotional intelligence, storytelling, and everyday Black life — especially from the perspective of Black women.
And although her vocal talents are orbital and atmospheric, her energy and vibe have always been down to Earth, neighborly, quotidien, and approachable. In his Pitchfork review of the record, Marcus J. Moore calls Scott's Blackness "kinetic," offering this descriptive extrapolation in support:
"It sounds like double-dutch rhythms on pavement, rope slapping concrete in perfect time while sneakers tap the block. Her cadences pivot and play, bending phrases into jazz-informed stretches, turning seemingly mundane occurrences into bright melody."
A defining voice of the neo-soul movement, Scott's unique melding of jazz-influenced instrumentation, poetry and spoken word traditions, lyrical storytelling rooted in everyday life, and the warmth, vulnerability, and humor she brings to her music, was an education forged on the live stage.
Before releasing her first album, Scott was active in Philadelphia’s spoken-word poetry scene. That background shaped the rhythm and cadence of her songwriting. Discovered in Philadelphia by Questlove (Ahmir Thompson) of The Roots, she blurred the line between poetry performance and R&B singing, making spoken word feel natural inside mainstream music.
Following the success of her debut record, Scott's first national headlining tour in 2001 kicked off in Atlanta in February, and by May of that year, she was invited by Sting to open all of his spring tour dates. In the years since, Scott has built a reputation as an extraordinary live vocal performer.
Her concerts are known for featuring soulful improvisation and extended vocal runs, call-and-response with her audiences, theatrical storytelling and honest, emotional banter, and always blending singing with spoken word. Because of this, many fans consider her one of the best live vocalists of her generation, with performances that often feel more like communal gatherings than traditional concerts.
Now, you can catch Jill Scott live on tour in 2026. Follow her on Bandsintown.
Jill Scott 2026 Tour Dates
MAR 26 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
JUN 04 — Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
JUN 05 — Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
JUN 11 — Washington City, DC @ Theater at MGM National Harbor
JUN 13 — Washington City, DC @ Theater at MGM National Harbor
JUN 14 — Washington City, DC @ Theater at MGM National Harbor
JUN 16 — Charlotte, NC @ Belk Theater
JUN 18 — Durham, NC @ Durham Performing Arts Center
JUL 10 — Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre
JUL 11 — Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre
JUL 16 — Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
JUL 18 — Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
JUL 19 — Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
JUL 24 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met
JUL 25 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met
JUL 27 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met
AUG 06 — Oakland, CA @ Paramount Theatre
AUG 07 — Oakland, CA @ Paramount Theatre
AUG 11 — Inglewood, CA @ YouTube Theatre
AUG 12 — Inglewood, CA @ YouTube Theatre
AUG 15 — Las Vegas, NV @ Pearl Theater
AUG 20 — Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre
AUG 22 — Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre
AUG 23 — Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre
AUG 26 — Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre Detroit
AUG 30 — Sugar Land, TX @ Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
SEP 03 — Irving, TX @ Toyota Music Factory
SEP 29 — Birmingham, United Kingdom @ O2 Academy 3
OCT 01 — Manchester, United Kingdom @ O2 Apollo Manchester
OCT 05 — Bruxelles, Belgium @ BOZAR
OCT 06 — Berlin, Germany @ Tempodrom
OCT 09 — Paris, France @ Zenith Paris - La Villette
OCT 10 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ AFAS Live
OCT 13 — London, United Kingdom @ Royal Albert Hall
OCT 14 — London, United Kingdom @ Royal Albert Hall
NOV 07 — Pretoria, South Africa @ SunBet Arena Time Square
NOV 11 — Cape Town, South Africa @ SunBet Arena
