Lenny Kravitz at Schlossplatz: rock, soul and funk in the heart of Stuttgart
Lenny Kravitz is coming to Schlossplatz in Stuttgart as one of the most prominent names in the Jazz Open Stuttgart program. The concert is scheduled for Friday, July 10, 2026, in the very urban center of the city, in an open-air area between the New Palace, museums, green spaces and the Königstraße pedestrian zone. According to the festival program, admission for this concert begins at 17:00, and the start is listed as 18:00.
For the audience, this means an early summer concert day, with enough time to arrive, get oriented around the venue and ease into the rhythm before the main performance. Kravitz is an artist whose concerts do not rely only on nostalgia: his catalog carries three decades of radio classics, but the current phase around the album "Blue Electric Light" gives the evening a fresh context. Ticket sales for this event are ongoing.
Why this concert is special in the Jazz Open program
Jazz Open Stuttgart is not a classic single-focus jazz festival. The program combines jazz, soul, funk, pop, rock and major international names, and Schlossplatz is its main open-air stage for concerts with broad appeal. In the 2026 edition, artists such as Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Teddy Swims, Katy Perry, Jamiroquai, Jamie Cullum, Joss Stone and Moby are also performing in the same space, which places Kravitz’s performance within a distinctly international festival sequence.
Kravitz fits naturally into that framework. His sound has never belonged to only one category: within the same song, one can often hear rock guitar riffs, funk bass lines, soul vocals, a gospel feeling in the choruses and a pop structure that makes the song immediate. Precisely because of this, he can work in front of an audience that comes for rock energy, but also in front of those who seek groove, melody and a dance pulse in his songs.
This is not a concert only for album collectors. Kravitz has enough recognizable songs to attract a wide audience, but also a deep enough catalog for longtime fans to have something to listen to between the big choruses. "Are You Gonna Go My Way", "Fly Away", "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over", "Again", "American Woman" and "Let Love Rule" are part of the musical memory of several generations, while newer material from "Blue Electric Light" shows that the author still builds performances around a live band, guitar and rhythm.
Musical style: between guitar impact and soul elegance
Kravitz was born in New York in 1964, and built his career as a singer, guitarist, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is the winner of 4 Grammy Awards, and his biography is often described through the fusion of rock, soul and funk. But at a concert, what matters most is how these elements collide on stage.
In the fiercest moments, his band sounds firm and direct: the guitar is in the foreground, the rhythm section keeps the songs grounded, and the choruses are written for communal singing. In slower and more sensual songs, Kravitz returns to the soul tradition, warm vocals and the space between the notes. It is a combination that makes his concert feel not like a linear rock performance, but as an alternation of tension, dancing, ballads and big finales.
For visitors who know him only through his greatest hits, his relationship with albums is also important. Kravitz often builds songs as if they were created in the studio by one continuous band, not from a digital collage. That is why his live format has special weight: songs that are compact on the radio can gain an extended groove, an intro, a guitar exchange or an audience taking over the chorus on stage.
Current phase: "Blue Electric Light" as a new creative framework
The album "Blue Electric Light" was presented as his twelfth studio album and as a new chapter in which he once again emphasizes his role as songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. BMG states that Kravitz wrote and played most of the instruments on the album, alongside longtime guitarist Craig Ross, and among the singles, "TK421", "Human" and "Paralyzed" stood out. On the artist’s website, the album is presented as a release available in multiple formats, with additional focus on the song "Let It Ride".
For the concert in Stuttgart, this matters because the evening is not reduced only to a career overview. The current material brings a more modern, shinier layer of his sound: the funk is cleaner, the choruses are direct, and the production relies on his old sense for combining rock, R&B and pop. When such songs are inserted between classics, the audience gets a broader picture of an artist who still performs as an active author, not only as the guardian of his own hits.
Recent concert records from the tour show that alongside the new material, songs such as "TK421", "Human", "Paralyzed" and "Honey" often appeared, while major concert pillars remained "Are You Gonna Go My Way", "Fly Away", "Again", "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" and "Let Love Rule". This does not mean that the same order will apply to Stuttgart, but it gives a realistic framework of expectations: the evening should combine the current phase with songs the audience recognizes after the first few bars.
Opening act DE'WAYNE and the energy before the main performance
DE'WAYNE has also been announced in the program for the concert at Schlossplatz. He is an American singer and performer from Houston, Texas, whose sound moves between alternative rock, punk, pop and R&B. Jazz Open Stuttgart highlights in his profile an energetic performance and a genre-open approach, with the albums "STAINS", "MY FAVORITE BLUE JEANS" and "I WANT YOU MORE THAN ANYBODY WANTS YOU" as important points in his career so far.
This choice of opening act makes sense. DE'WAYNE can warm up the space with a more modern, sharper sound before Kravitz’s classic blend of rock and soul. The audience that arrives earlier does not get only a wait for the main artist, but an additional concert layer. At large open-air evenings, it is precisely that initial part that often sets the tempo: as the space fills, the feeling of shared anticipation also grows.
What the audience can expect from the live performance
Kravitz’s concerts are most often remembered for their immediacy. Although he is an artist with a major international career, his music works best when it feels like a conversation between the band and the audience. "Let Love Rule" in live performances often gains an extended, almost communal character, while songs such as "Fly Away" and "Are You Gonna Go My Way" carry the kind of chorus that quickly grows into collective singing in an open-air space.
It is important not to expect a museum-like overview of a career, but a concert that moves through contrasts. One part of the evening may be built on solid guitar energy, another on funk, a third on ballads and soul lines. Kravitz’s stage identity has always been a fusion of musician and stylist, but in a concert sense the emphasis remains on the band: on rhythm, vocals and the guitar that carries the songs without too much explanation.
Tickets for this event are in demand. Audience members who want to experience the entire program, including the opening act and the gradual filling of the Schlossplatz space, should plan to arrive earlier, especially because this is a central city location and a summer festival date.
Schlossplatz as a concert backdrop
Schlossplatz is one of the most recognizable public spaces in Stuttgart. It is located next to Königstraße, the city’s main pedestrian and shopping axis, and around it are the Neues Schloss, the Kunstmuseum, the Altes Schloss and other city landmarks. For Jazz Open, this space becomes a large open-air concert arena, with a capacity of 7,000 places in a combination of standing and seated arrangements.
The open square changes the way a concert is experienced. The sound is not enclosed as it is in a hall, but spreads through the city center, while the evening light, façades and green spaces create a setting different from a classic arena. For an artist like Kravitz, who combines raw guitar and elegant groove, such a backdrop can be very rewarding: it is large enough for a mass chorus, but also central enough for the audience to remain connected with the stage and the city around it.
- Location: Schlossplatz, 70173 Stuttgart, in the city center.
- Concert space: open-air stage of the Jazz Open program between the New Palace, museums and the city park.
- Capacity: 7,000 places, in a combination of standing and seated positions.
- Admission: for the Lenny Kravitz concert, it is listed from 17:00.
- Program start: in the Schlossplatz stage schedule, it is listed as 18:00.
For visitors traveling to Stuttgart, the advantage of this location is simple: the concert does not take place on the edge of the city, but in a place naturally connected with hotels, restaurants, the railway station and pedestrian zones. This allows the concert day to turn into a broader city stay, with arrival earlier in the afternoon and departure without long transfers through the outskirts.
Arrival, public transport and movement around the center
The organizers of Jazz Open Stuttgart list several key stops for the festival stages: Hauptbahnhof, Schlossplatz, Charlottenplatz and Rathaus, along with the S-Bahn stations Hauptbahnhof and Stadtmitte on lines S1 to S6. For concerts at Schlossplatz and in the Altes Schloss, getting off at Schlossplatz or Charlottenplatz is specifically mentioned. The KombiTicket for festival events is valid in the VVS network from 3 hours before the start of the event for arrival and until the end of service, or until 5:00 the following day, for the return journey in 2nd class.
This is practical information for anyone who does not want to think about driving through the city center on the day of a major concert. Schlossplatz is in the very heart of Stuttgart, so public transport is the simplest solution, especially for visitors coming from other parts of the city, from surrounding places or via the main railway station.
If you are arriving by car, plan more time to enter the center and check nearby garages before departure. A summer festival day, pedestrian zones and a larger number of visitors can slow movement around the square. It is worth securing tickets on time, but it is equally worth securing a good arrival plan.
Who this concert is especially attractive for
This concert has several different audiences. Longtime fans come for the songs that have followed Kravitz’s career from "Let Love Rule" and "Mama Said" to the big global hits from the late nineties and early two-thousands. Lovers of guitar rock come for the riffs, solos and stage energy. Audiences more inclined toward soul and funk will recognize his warmer side, the one in which bass and vocals carry an equally important role as the guitar.
The concert is also attractive to visitors who like festival evenings with a clear urban identity. Schlossplatz is not a neutral black box, but a space that constantly reminds you where you are. Between songs, views toward the façades and the movement of the audience through the city center, the performance gains a travel-like character. That can be an important reason to come for those combining the concert with a weekend in Stuttgart.
For a younger audience, DE'WAYNE brings additional value, with a sound that combines contemporary alternative rock and R&B. For the wider audience, the greatest asset remains the fact that Kravitz has songs that are easily recognizable, but also enough musical weight that the concert does not feel like a mere sequence of singles.
Stuttgart as host of a concert weekend
Stuttgart is a city of strong cultural infrastructure, museums, theaters, parks and a dense public transport network. For visitors coming only because of the concert, the most important fact is that Schlossplatz is located in a very accessible part of the city. The main station, Königstraße, museum spaces and city promenades are located in the same central belt, so the day can be organized without complicated transfers.
Königstraße gives the concert day a practical advantage: shops, cafés and restaurants are nearby, and the square itself has enough landmarks for visitors to find their way easily. Stuttgart is often associated with the automotive industry, but for a festival arrival, its compact center is more important. A concert at Schlossplatz allows the musical event and the city stay to merge into one clear route.
Practical tips for concert day
Since admission opens from 17:00, it is most pleasant to arrive with a time buffer. This is especially true for visitors who want a better position in the standing area, are coming in a group or want to hear the opening act as well. Summer open-air concerts also require slightly different preparation than hall concerts: check the weather forecast, bring what is allowed by the event rules and count on longer movement through the crowd after the program ends.
- Arrive earlier: admission from 17:00 gives enough space for calm entry and orientation.
- Use public transport: the Schlossplatz and Charlottenplatz stops are the most practical for this stage.
- Check entry rules: rules for bags, bottles and other items may differ by event.
- Plan your return: the VVS KombiTicket is valid until 5:00 the following day for the return journey.
- Count on an open-air space: clothing and footwear should be suitable for standing, walking and possible weather changes.
Kravitz’s concert at Schlossplatz has all the elements of a summer city evening: a major catalog, an active creative phase, an opening act that broadens the sonic framework and a space that carries Stuttgart’s identity by itself. Places are disappearing quickly.
Sources:
- Jazz Open Stuttgart - data were used on the Schlossplatz program, date, admission time, program start, opening act DE'WAYNE, description of the space and capacity.
- Lenny Kravitz - data were used on the current tour and presentation of the album "Blue Electric Light".
- BMG - data were used on the album "Blue Electric Light", the singles "TK421", "Human" and "Paralyzed" and Kravitz’s role as songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist.
- Grammy.com - data were used on Lenny Kravitz’s Grammy Awards and nominations.
- Stuttgart Tourist and Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart - data were used on Schlossplatz, Königstraße, the New Palace and the central city location.
- Jazz Open Stuttgart Anreise and VVS - data were used on arrival by public transport, recommended stops and KombiTicket rules.
- setlist.fm - an overview of recent concert records was used for the general context of the live repertoire, without claiming that the set list for Stuttgart is determined in advance.