Aalen Jazz Festival 2026

One of the 5 Largest German Jazz Festivals

The Aalen Jazz Festival is among the five largest jazz festivals in Germany — attracting around 13,000 visitors over five festival days. The next edition runs from November 4th to 8th, 2026, in the Große Kreisstadt (major district town) of Aalen. The Stadthalle Aalen is the main venue, while KUBAA (Kunst- und Begegnungszentrum Aalen) serves as an additional stage. The festival is organized by the cultural association kunterbunt e.V. in close cooperation with the City of Aalen.

Five Days of Top-Level Jazz

The program is characterized by stylistic diversity: fusion jazz, classic hard bop, funk jazz, soul, African jazz, and world music. The festival brings international stars as well as emerging acts to the stages in Aalen — a bridge between jazz tradition and the avant-garde. International stars from the USA, Scandinavia, the African continent, and Central Europe are regular guests.

Stadthalle Aalen and KUBAA

The Stadthalle Aalen, the city's most important cultural center, offers ideal acoustics for concerts with its large hall. KUBAA, the art and community center near the city center, complements it with a smaller hall and an intimate atmosphere — ideal for solo sets, trios, and small ensembles. The diversity of venues allows for a broad program, from big band concerts to solo piano performances.

Year-Round Jazz Series at TheRoom

In parallel to the festival, a year-round concert series runs at TheRoom (Gmünder Str. 8, 73430 Aalen). Dates in 2026 include: TILAR (April 25th), Arne Jansen & Stephan Braun (May 21st), Lords of Lounge (June 19th), Jazzbois (July 10th). This makes Aalen a jazz destination not just for five festival days, but for the entire year.

Aalen — Industrial City with an Active Cultural Scene

Aalen, with around 70,000 inhabitants, is the largest city in the Ostalb district, located on the Swabian Jura. It is traditionally an industrially shaped city (optics, steel, machine tools). Despite this — or perhaps because of it — Aalen boasts an astonishingly active cultural scene. The Stadthalle, KUBAA, the Aalen Museum, Aalen University with its "Audiovisual Media" program, and the Aalen Jazz Festival make the city a surprisingly culturally vibrant destination in eastern Württemberg.

Kunterbunt e.V. — The Festival Organizer

The cultural association kunterbunt e.V. has been the organizer of the festival for years. Its program is curated by a group of dedicated jazz fans and musicians, with the clear goal of making both traditional and experimental jazz movements visible. This curatorial care explains the festival's supra-regional reputation.