Great Jazz Festivals In Europe (Top 10)

Looking for some help deciding which European jazz festivals to check out this year?

Obviously there are hundreds to choose from, but we’ve picked a small selection from the European jazz scene and asked some of the musicians who performed there to explain what made it special for them.

The result: your recommended list of where to go this year to see some great concerts, in some very special locations.

Looking to discover some new music? Check out this run down of 11 of the most influential European jazz musicians of all time, or these great European jazz blogs & websites…

• Montreux Jazz Festival (July, Switzerland)

One of the mot legendary jazz festivals in the world, the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland has been running for more than 50 years. For two weeks each July, more than 250,000 music fans descend on the small municipality on Lake Geneva.

Past headliners read like a who’s who of jazz history: Nina Simone, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder… Prince & Deep Purple even name-checked the festival in songs.

But alongside the biggest names in music who perform each year, the festival presents multiple strands of fresh, contemporary jazz programming which keep audiences on their toes and provide rising talent the opportunity to add one of Europe’s best jazz festivals to their tour history.

“Montreux Jazz Festival is huge and the programme is extremely varied. It also has a special programme for emerging talent with an award for the best act.

Our gig was wonderfully received and we sold a lot of CDs right after the show!” 3 words to describe it? “Big, Diverse, International” Andrew Neil Hayes, Run Logan Run (UK)

More info via montreuxjazzfestival.com

• We Jazz Festival (Dec, Finland)

Established in 2013, We Jazz is one of the newest festivals on this list. Taking place around Helsinki, the organisers are regularly looking for new venues and spaces to add to the programme.

The result? Expect your preconceptions about a jazz festival to be challenged, with handpicked bands providing a cross-section of the contemporary music scene.

As a bonus: We Jazz takes place in December, when most other festivals are on a break. So, aside from the music, it’s a great excuse for a winter break to Scandinavia…

The jazz musician’s view: 

“Our concert at G-LiveLab was sold out, the concert was burning, the sound was great, the audience very engaged.

What makes this festival special is that there are a lot of venues, a lot of acts & super promotion.” 3 words to describe it? “Exiting, kicking, burning!” – Muriel Grossmann, Austrian saxophonist 

More info via wejazz.fi

• Mai Jazz Festival (May, Norway)

Taking place in Stavanger, Mai Jazz is one of the most established and popular festivals in Norway. Built on a foundation of strong local support (sponsors, politicians and an army of volunteers) it’s been bringing international jazz to the region since 1989.

Previous headliners at Mai:Jazz have included Jan Garbarek, Pat Metheney, Herbie Hancock, E.S.T and Joe Zawinul, to name just a few. But, as a busy student city, the smaller venues and contemporary jazz artists who perform are a big draw too.

The jazz musician’s view: 

“I played there with my Trio in a double bill with Kinga Glyk Trio. It’s a great program, lovely people and Hasse the programmer really cares about good music.

We also watched some great concerts at the festival (like Gregory Porter with Orchestra) and I particularly remember the many fjords we saw on that Norwegian tour.” 3 words to describe it? “adventurous, exciting & caring” – David Helbock, Austrian pianist 

More info via maijazz.no

• Novum Jazz Festival (Nov, Poland)

Running for more than a decade now, Novum Jazz Festival presents the ‘New Jazz Hope‘ competition alongside the full artistic programme, meaning you can check out up-and-coming young jazz musicians.

Musically it leans towards contemporary jazz, as well as supporting plenty of artists from the Polish jazz scene; previous performances have included Tim Hagan, Szymon Mika, Marek Konarski & Swiss trio VEIN.

The jazz musician’s view: 

“There was a special atmosphere as the venue was quite small but completely packed. People even were listening from outside.

There was no stage, so all was very familiar. It’s definitively a programme created by people who care about good music” – Florian Arbenz, Swiss drummer 

More info via radionadzieja.pl

• Belgrade Jazz Festival (Oct, Serbia)

• Fest Jazza (July, Croatia)

Held each summer in the city of Koprivnica in Northern Croatia, Fest Jazza takes place in the main ‘Zrinski’ square, with some smaller venues dotted around.

It may be one of the lesser-known European jazz festivals on this list, but it certainly has a worldwide outlook. Previous performers have come from as far afield as Cuba, America, Spain & India.

Don’t miss the late night festival jam session which kicks off around midnight…

The jazz musician’s view: 

“Every single act was spectacular, from all around the world, and the production was top-notch. But our best memory of the trip was probably the audience reaction!” 3 words to describe it? “Unique, Open, Novel” – Bodhi Ghosh, The Bodhisattwa Trio

More info via festjazza.com

That’s it for now – hope you found some useful information there! We’ll be adding more in the coming weeks, so do check back. 

And, if you’re a jazz musician looking to get booked at more festivals yourself, you might like to check out this survey of international jazz promoters or the Jazzfuel guide on how to get more jazz gigs.