Brazil has produced some of the most legendary names in jazz, including Carlos Jobim, Gilberto Gil, João Donato, Ivan Lins and Elis Regina and is home to musical styles like Samba and Bossa Nova which continue to influence the sounds of jazz to this day.
The country’s rich musical legacy is reflected in its diverse range of music festivals. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at six of the best jazz festivals in Brazil and how they have responded to the pandemic.
In 2021, after eighteen challenging months and with the gradual return of in-person cultural activities, we took a look at six of the best jazz festivals in Brazil and their plans for the future. Five years after one of the most challenging periods for the arts sector, how are these events faring?
POA Jazz Festival
The 9th edition of the Santander Poa Jazz Festival featured a diverse program, bringing together major names in Brazilian and Latin American instrumental music. The festival was held at the Barra Shopping Sul Events Center in Porto Alegre. Highlights of the 2025 edition included performances by the Hamilton de Holanda Trio and Amaro Freitas Trio (Brazil), Yudith Rojas (Cuba), Niccole Meza (Venezuela), among others.
Festival de Jazz do Capão
Since 2017, the Capão Jazz Festival has financial support from the Bahia State Government and the federal government. In 2021 edition, the event went online, thanks to the funds by the Bahia Department of Culture and the Paulo Coelho and Christina Oiticica Foundation. In 2025, the festival reaches its 12th edition and celebrates the 15th anniversary of the movement. The 2025 edition of the FJC continued the tradition of being an event that values inspiring, sensitive, and captivating artistic expressions, reinforcing support for culture, inclusion, and sustainable development.
Amazonas Green Jazz Festival (FAJ)
Conceived in 2005 as an initiative from the Government of the State of Amazonas, the festival has been run by artistic director Rui Carvalho since its first edition in 2006.
Carvalho, the first conductor of the Amazonas Band – a big band linked to the state Secretariat of Culture – is also responsible for the general structure of the Festival, divided into concerts and educational activities.
In its 13th edition, the festival claims to be the largest one in Latin America. Celebrating Brazilian musical culture and its connections with other expressions present throughout the American continent, the 2025 AMAZONAS GREEN JAZZ FESTIVAL addresses elements that reflect this context, inviting musicians from African roots, heritages revealed in the Americas, and the most modern expressions of the legacies present in Brazilian music.
Juca Jazz
Born in 2016 from the initiative of Juarez Godoy to create a space to present quality music, giving space and visibility to local musicians, the “Juca Jazz” movement in joined forces with the Americana Symphony Orchestra to celebrate 2025 International Jazz Day, celebrated on April 30th. With free admission, a concert took place at the Municipal Theater in the city of Americana, São Paulo and it was conducted by the internationally awarded maestro Ricardo Calderoni.
Ibitipoca Jazz Festival
Ibitipoca Jazz Festival was founded by guitarist, composer and producer Hérmanes Abreu who, along with his group – formed by Márvio Ciribelli (piano), Dudu Lima (bass), Rocir Abud (drums) and Paulo Willians (trombone) – performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 1999,
It was this performance that inspired him to create a similar event in Brazil. The following year, the first edition of the festival took place in Ibitipoca, a small town in southern Minas Gerais.
“We chose Ibitipoca because it is a magical place, with a unique landscape,” says Abreu.
“We started from zero. At that time in Brazil, there were only a few jazz festivals – survivors from the 1980s. Gradually, jazz festivals started to grow again, despite all the difficulties we had to get sponsorships.
“Currently, the Ibitipoca Jazz Festival has some faithful partners, which helps us to keep the ticket price compatible with the Brazilian economic reality. The fact that I am a musician and composer, with a background in Jazz Composition (Berklee, Boston) helped a lot to create a very good relationship with musicians in Brazil and abroad. We understand all their difficulties and the musicians understand our difficulties, too”,
According to festival organizer Hérmanes Abreu, the Ibitipoca Jazz Festival is the most traditional one in the country. In 2020, the event faced the restrictions arising from the pandemic with an online open-air performance, which featured the Dudu Lima Trio, and several musicians who had previously performed at the festival. Since 2024, the Ibitipoca Jazz Festival has returned to its usual venue, the Ibitipoca Leisure Hotel. In 2025, the festival celebrates its 25th anniversary, bringing together musicians such as pianist and composer Vagner Tiso (Brazil), and saxophonist Tom Bergeron (USA), among others.
Rio das Ostras Jazz & Blues Festival
With several national and international sponsorships, the numbers of the Rio das Ostras Jazz & Blues Festival are impressive: the festival just celebrated their 22nd edition in the city of Rio das Ostras, in Rio de Janeiro. It attracts an audience of 100 to 130 thousand people per year, during the four days of its realization, including tourists from all over the country and foreigners. This year the festival featured more than 30 shows and the line-up included national and international artists, such as Cuban Alfredo Rodríguez, Brazilian pianist Amaro Freitas, and the American J.J. Thames & Prado Brothers Band, among others. An extra highlight was a Bourbon Street-inspired ambiance, with sets reminiscent of the birthplace of jazz spread throughout the city.
Head to our dedicated page for jazz festivals and clubs to discover more great events across the world, from London to New York.
Looking for more Brazil? Check out our round up of the best bossa nova albums in history.
