List of jazz festivals


This is a list of notable jazz festivals around the world.

Historic jazz festivals

NameYearLocationNotesImage-
Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival1969–presentAnn Arbor, Michigan, U.S.-
Beaulieu Jazz Festival1956–61Beaulieu, Hampshire, UKLord Montagu of Beaulieu holds an annual trad and modern jazz festival in the ground of Beaulieu estate, in the New Forest.-
Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival1971–PresentDavenport, Iowa, U.S.This 3 day jazz festival in Bix Beiderbecke's hometown of Davenport, IA began when a group of East Coast musicians came to Davenport to pay homage to Bix by playing over his grave. The jam session at a local hotel afterwards was so hugely popular that the idea to hold it annually was born. The festival drew tens of thousands and has been held every year since. 2021 marks its 50th anniversary, making it one of the longest running jazz fests in the U.S.-
Cavalcade of Jazz1945–1958Los Angeles, California, U.S.Leon Hefflin Sr. produced the Cavalcade of Jazz at Wrigley Field, with jazz giants such as Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Lionel Hampton, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Sam Cooke, Dinah Washington, Frankie Laine, Perez Prado, Sarah Vaughn, Valdez Orchestra, Ray Charles and over a hundred more artists.-
Clearwater Jazz Holiday1979–presentClearwater, Florida, U.S.-
DC Jazz Festival2005–presentWashington, D.C., U.S.-
Festival International de Jazz1959–1966Comblain-la-Tour, BelgiumFor eight years, between 1959 and 1966 at the initiative of a GI who survived the Rundstedt Offensive, the small Walloon village turned into one of the landmarks of the jazz world. Performing artists included John Coltrane, Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Stéphane Grappelli, Cannonball Adderley, Chet Baker, and Woody Herman.
2003–presentDenver, Colorado, USA is a free, all-day event held annually in Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood. From its humble first year which featured one stage and only three bands, the festival has grown into an all-day event with almost 50 bands, 10 stages and performance spaces and 100,000 visitors. In 2020, DAV collaborated with Rocky Mountain PBS and KUVO to broadcast a virtual event that garnered two Colorado Broadcasters Association awards and a Heartland Emmy® nomination.
Golden River City Jazz Festival1960–2016Kortrijk, BelgiumFocusing on Jazz. The Festival was an opportunity for The Golden River City Jazz Band to showcase their repertoire and to mingle with international musicians
Jazz at the Lake: Lake George Jazz Weekend1984–presentLake George, New York, U.S.-
Jazz Bilzen1965–1981Bilzen, BelgiumThis was the first festival on the continent where jazz and pop music were brought together. Sometimes called the "mother of all festivals," Bilzen started out featuring jazz, but eventually incorporated blues, folk, rock and soul, punk and new wave as well.-
JazzFest Berlin1964–presentBerlin, GermanyThe festival's artistic concept has been to document, support, and validate trends in jazz, and to mirror the diversity of creative musical activity.-
Jefferson St. Jazz & Blues Festival2000–presentNashville, Tennessee, U.S.-
Kongsberg Jazzfestival1964–presentKongsberg, NorwayThe second jazz festival started in Norway.-
Moldejazz1961–presentMolde, NorwayThe first jazz festival in Norway.-
Montreal International Jazz Festival1979–presentMontreal, Quebec, CanadaThe Festival International de Jazz de Montréal is an annual jazz festival held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Jazz Fest holds the 2004 Guinness World Record as the world's largest jazz festival. Every year it features roughly 3,000 artists from 30-odd countries, more than 650 concerts, and welcomes over 2 million visitors as well as 300 accredited journalists. The festival takes place at 20 different stages, which include free outdoor stages and indoor concert halls.-
National Jazz and Blues Festival1961–1980sUnited KingdomOriginally oriented around jazz and blues, this annual festival soon became a showcase for progressive rock as well, featuring groups such as the psychedelic rock group Cream.-
Nattjazz1972–presentBergen, NorwayThis is a central jazz festival in Norway oriented around the variety of jazz.-
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival1970–presentNew Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.This annual festival celebrates the indigenous music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana, so the music encompasses every style associated with the city and the state: contemporary and traditional jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, Cajun music, zydeco, Afro-Caribbean, folk music, Latin, rock, rap music, country music, and bluegrass.-
Newport Jazz Festival1954–presentNewport, Rhode Island, U.S.It was established in 1954 by socialite Elaine Lorillard. While initially focused on acoustic jazz, the festival's 1969 program was an experiment in fusing jazz, soul and rock music and audiences.-
Ocean Blue Jazz Festivalmid-1990s–early 2000sHitachinaka, Ibaraki--
Panama Jazz Festival2003–presentPanamaWith almost 20 years, the Panama Jazz Festival has become a cultural tourism attraction with the visit of more than 500,000 people from different latitudes. Currently, the event is sustainable thanks to the work of Patricia Zárate de Pérez, Executive Director of the festival who leads a team of 70 coordinators, 500 volunteers, 300 national and international musicians, and about 200 collaborators from all sectors of Panama., adding more than 1,000 people who work hard to carry out the event.
Pori Jazz1966–presentPori, FinlandThe first festival was based on acoustic jazz, but electric jazz and other rhythm music, blues, soul, funk, hip-hop and Cuban and Brazilian music gradually took foot.-
Prague International Jazz Festival1964–presentPrague, Czech Republic-
Jersey City Jazz Festival2013–presentJersey City, New Jersey, U.S.An annual festival in June based out of Hudson County. The festival was started to create an awareness of the internationally known jazz musicians living in Jersey City.-
Tobago Jazz Festival2004–presentTrinidad and TobagoAmerican magazine Forbes in 2008 voted the festival "third Biggest Event on Planet Earth"-

Jazz festivals by country

The following is an incomplete list of notable jazz festivals, including both current and defunct festivals of note.

Africa

Angola

Cape Verde

  • Kriol Jazz Festival in Praia, Cape Verde

Lesotho

Madagascar
  • Nosy Be Jazz Festival

Morocco

Nigeria

South Africa

Americas

Argentina

Aruba

  • Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival

Barbados

Bolivia

Brazil

Canada

Chile

  • Festival Internacional de Jazz Las Condes in Santiago
  • Festival Internacional Jazz Patagonia in Frutillar
  • Festival Internacional Providencia Jazz in Santiago
  • Festival Internacional San Bernardo Jazz Fest in Santiago

Colombia

Cuba

  • Havana Jazz Festival in Havana

Curaçao

Dominican Republic

  • Dominican Republic Jazz Festival

Haiti

Jamaica

Mexico

Panama

Puerto Rico

Saint Lucia

Suriname

Trinidad and Tobago

United States

Alabama
Alaska
Arkansas
Arizona
  • Tucson Jazz Festival in Tucson
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
  • Al Sears Jazz Festival in Macomb
  • Chicago Jazz Festival in Chicago
  • Elmhurst Jazz Festival in Elmhurst
  • Englewood Jazz Festival in Chicago
  • Hyde Park Jazz Festival in Chicago
  • Knox-Rootabaga Jazz Festival in Galesburg
  • South Shore Jazz Festival in Chicago
  • Umbrella Music Festival in Chicago
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
  • Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival in St. Louis
  • Kansas City Blues and Jazz Festival in Kansas City
  • Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival in Sedalia
Nebraska
Nevada
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
  • Benny Golson Jazz Festival in Ephraim
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming
  • Kinser Jazz Festival in Casper

Uruguay

Venezuela

Asia

Azerbaijan

China

Cyprus

  • International Kourion Festival
  • World of Jazz Festival at Aphrodite Hills in Kouklia

Georgia

India

Indonesia

Israel

Japan

Malaysia

  • KL International Jazz & Arts Festival
  • Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival
  • World Youth Jazz Festival
  • Penang Island Jazz Festival
  • Borneo Jazz Festival held in Miri, Sarawak
  • IPjazz Festival held in Bahru

Nepal

Philippines

Singapore

  • The Singapore International Jazz Festival

South Korea

Taiwan

Thailand

United Arab Emirates

Europe

Austria

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

  • International Jazz Festival in Bansko
  • in Varna,

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Kosovo

  • Dam Jazz Festival
  • Prishtina Jazz Festival in Pristina

Latvia

Lithuania

*

Malta

Moldova

Netherlands

North Macedonia

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Russia

Serbia

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Thailand

Turkey

Ukraine

United Kingdom

Oceania

Australia

New Zealand

Samoa

  • Samoa 2010 International Jazz and Blues Festival, Samoa

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