TunetrailThe best jazz festivals in Europe 2026
Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and North Sea Jazz in Rotterdam are Europe's two most important jazz festivals. Montreux turns 60 in 2026. The season is shorter and more concentrated than in other genres, centred on July.
Last updated July 29, 2026 · 10 festivals in this guide
| Festival | Country | Dates | Genre | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreux Jazz Festival | Switzerland | 3 – July 18 | Jazz & Soul | Tickets |
| North Sea Jazz | Netherlands | 10 – July 12 | Jazz & Soul | Tickets |
| Umbria Jazz Festival | Italy | 3 – July 12 | Jazz & Soul | Tickets |
| Gent Jazz Festival | Belgium | 2 – July 18 | Jazz & Soul | Tickets |
| Cully Jazz Festival | Switzerland | 10 – April 18 | Jazz & Soul | Tickets |
| San Sebastian Jazz Festival | Spain | 22 – July 26 | Jazz & Soul | Tickets |
| Pori Jazz | Finland | July 17 2027 | Jazz & Soul | Tickets |
| Ascona Jazz Festival | Switzerland | June 25 – July 4 | Jazz & Soul | — |
| Jazz à Liège | Belgium | 7 – May 10 | Jazz & Soul | Tickets |
| Pescara Jazz | Italy | 12 – July 19 | Jazz & Soul | Tickets |
The European jazz festival is a tradition of its own, and the oldest among them have shaped the genre well beyond their own stages. Montreux Jazz Festival on Lake Geneva marks its 60th anniversary in {year} and has long been more than a jazz festival – the programme stretches from straight jazz concerts to soul, blues and pop, drawing several hundred thousand people over two weeks. North Sea Jazz in Rotterdam is the densest of them all: three days, many parallel stages, and a programme consistently among the most extensive in Europe.
Italy has two of the most atmospheric. Umbria Jazz in Perugia uses the city's medieval squares and streets as venues, while Pescara Jazz sits on the Adriatic coast. In Switzerland, Cully Jazz takes place in a wine village on Lake Geneva, and Ascona Jazz plays along the lakeside promenade in the Italian-speaking part of the country.
Jazz festivals are consistently smaller and more urban than rock or electronic events, with concerts in halls, churches and squares rather than on festival fields. That makes them easy to combine with an ordinary city break.
- 1
Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux, Switzerland · 3 – July 18
Line-up includes: RAYE & Special Guests, SEKOU, EDDY DE PRETTO x MAUD LE PLADEC, LONELY CLUB, MARO +65
- 2
North Sea Jazz
Rotterdam, Netherlands · 10 – July 12
Line-up includes: Y.O.P.E. & Avvnt MM presents: Music for Dogs, Ão, Y-OTIS, anaiis, Roy Hargrove's The RH Factor +204
- 3
Umbria Jazz Festival
Perugia / Arena Santa Giuliana / Teatro Morlacchi, Italy · 3 – July 12
Line-up includes: Sting 3.0, Sugarpie and the Candymen, BEAT: Steve Vai, Adrian Belew, Danny Carey, Tony Levin, Perigeo, Jon Batiste +13
- 4
Gent Jazz Festival
Bijloke site, Belgium · 2 – July 18
Line-up includes: Lakecia Benjamin, Stanley Clarke N*4Ever, Terence Blanchard & Ravi Coltrane | Miles Davis & John Coltrane Celebration, Sun Ra Arkestra, Bodem +100
- 5
Cully Jazz Festival
Cully / Lavaux venues, Switzerland · 10 – April 18
Line-up includes: 20:30 Lea Maria Fries, Traktorkestar feat. Stephan Eicher, Erika Stucky & Elina Duni, 21:00 Bahamadia w/The Ruffcats Band & DJ Eclipse, 20:00 Paula Oliveira & Léo Tardin, CJO plays Victor Decamp +31
- 6
San Sebastian Jazz Festival
San Sebastián / Donostia, Spain · 22 – July 26
Line-up includes: Julius Rodriguez, Javi Ruibal Cuarteto + Xan Campos Jazzeñe, Carmen Lundy, Lisa Ono, Marco Mezquida Trio Tāctil +23
- 7
- 8
Ascona Jazz Festival
Ascona town venues, Switzerland · June 25 – July 4
Line-up includes: Louisiana State University Brass Band, Babydoll Chyna Doll, Mitch Woods, The Rag Messengers, Dave Sharp Worlds Quartet +22
- 9
Jazz à Liège
Le Forum / Le Trocadéro / Le Reflektor / La Cité Miroir / OPRL / Hôtel de Clercx / Brasserie Sauvenière / Régina Club, Belgium · 7 – May 10
Line-up includes: Lady Blackbird, Béesau, Kassa Overall, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Ibrahim Maalouf +25
- 10
Pescara Jazz
Pescara, Italy · 12 – July 19
Line-up includes: PAOLO FRESU “Kind of lives”, Auditorium Flaiano, BLUES FOR PINO – Tributo a Pino Daniele, Porto Turistico, KURT ELLING meets MEDIT ORCHESTRA diretta da ANGELO VALORI +11
Month by month
Frequently asked questions
Which is Europe's best-known jazz festival?
Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, founded in 1967 and drawing several hundred thousand visitors each year. The festival marks its 60th anniversary in {year}.
Which jazz festival has the largest programme?
North Sea Jazz in Rotterdam, which packs an exceptionally extensive programme into three days across many parallel stages.
When do the jazz festivals take place?
Most fall in July: Montreux, North Sea Jazz, Umbria Jazz and Pori Jazz all run then. Cully Jazz is in April and Jazz à Liège in May, so the season starts earlier than in other genres.
Do I have to buy a full festival pass?
No – several European jazz festivals sell tickets to individual concerts alongside passes. That's standard at Montreux, Umbria Jazz and Cully Jazz.
Are jazz festivals only jazz?
Rarely. Montreux has long booked soul, blues, pop and rock alongside the jazz, and most larger jazz festivals have broader programmes than their names suggest.
Do jazz festivals work as a city break?
Yes, they're largely urban. Umbria Jazz uses Perugia's historic centre, Montreux sits on Lake Geneva, and North Sea Jazz is held in a concert centre in Rotterdam.
Jazz festival programmes are often published earlier than in other genres, but in smaller batches – individual concerts are added throughout spring. Several festivals sell tickets per concert alongside full passes, making it possible to cherry-pick single names. The dates and line-ups here update continuously.