BlackForestJazz Festival
Itinerant Jazz Festival in the Northern Black Forest with 25 concerts at 24 venues — from Freudenstadt to Pforzheim
About BlackForestJazz
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BlackForestJazz Festival — Jazz throughout the Northern Black Forest
The BlackForestJazz Festival is a young, rapidly growing jazz festival in the Northern Black Forest. 2026 marks the third edition — and the festival has already established itself as a fixture in the South German jazz scene. The organizer is the renowned Kulturhaus Osterfeld gGmbH in Pforzheim, a multi-disciplinary venue with a theater, concert hall, and studio. The festival concept is itinerant: instead of concentrating all concerts in one place, the program is spread across the entire region — from Freudenstadt in the south, via Bad Wildbad, Calw, and Pforzheim, to Maulbronn and Remchingen in the north.
25 Concerts, 24 Venues, 6 Jazz Films
The 2026 program includes 25 concerts at 24 locations, plus an additional six jazz films shown in four cinemas in the region. This allows the festival to achieve remarkable breadth and depth — from the main stage (Kulturhaus Osterfeld Pforzheim) to castle churches and concert halls, as well as jazz clubs and smaller venues in the region. Stylistically, the festival covers the entire spectrum of contemporary jazz: from mainstream hard bop and contemporary European jazz to crossover, experimental styles, and jazz-pop fusions.
Joo Kraus, Tingvall Trio, NDR Big Band
The 2026 opening headliner is Joo Kraus, the trumpeter and composer from Ulm who has been bridging jazz, pop, and film music for years. The Tingvall Trio from Hamburg meets the NDR Big Band — one of the most exciting collaborations in European jazz. Sandie Wollasch & Matthias Hautsch present more intimate concerts. A Jazz for Kids series introduces young audiences to the genre, while acts like David Helbock & Fola Dada showcase the festival's experimental side.
Northern Black Forest — A Jazz Landscape
Pforzheim (independent city 08231, around 125,000 inhabitants) is located on the edge of the Northern Black Forest at the confluence of the Enz and Würm rivers. The "Gold City" is an important cultural center of the region and home to the Kulturhaus Osterfeld. With the BlackForestJazz Festival, the entire Northern Black Forest tourism region becomes a cultural experience landscape — concert tours through Black Forest villages and small towns become a dense cultural end-of-summer celebration.
BlackForestJazz — edition 2026
3rd BlackForestJazz Festival 2026
From Thursday, September 24, to Sunday, October 11, 2026, the BlackForestJazz Festival will take place across the Northern Black Forest. 25 concerts at 24 venues form a dense, diverse program — opened by trumpeter Joo Kraus on September 24. The festival is consistently itinerant: every day, jazz is played in a different location in the region.
The Tingvall Trio from Hamburg meets the NDR Big Band — one of the festival's highlights. Sandie Wollasch & Matthias Hautsch present intimate concerts, David Helbock & Fola Dada represent the experimental side of the festival. A special Jazz for Kids series introduces children and families to the music. Simultaneously, six jazz films will be shown in four cinemas in the region — documentaries and concert films about jazz.
Programme BlackForestJazz 2026
Program 3rd BlackForestJazz Festival — 24.9.–11.10.2026
Opening
- Thursday, September 24 — Joo Kraus (Trumpet) — Festival Opening
Concert Highlights
- Tingvall Trio with the NDR Big Band — one of the most exciting crossover projects in European jazz
- Sandie Wollasch & Matthias Hautsch — Duo, intimate, songs and improvisation
- David Helbock & Fola Dada — experimental program with electronic elements
- Jazz for Kids — family-friendly concerts with educational introduction
- Further acts — list on the festival website
Venues (24 Locations)
- Pforzheim — Kulturhaus Osterfeld (main stage), other locations
- Freudenstadt — Festival hall, churches, cultural center
- Calw — Hermann Hesse town, cultural sites
- Bad Wildbad — Kurhaus, concert halls
- Maulbronn — Klosterkirche (UNESCO World Heritage Site), monastery buildings
- Remchingen — Kulturhaus, Stadthalle
- Other smaller locations in the region
Jazz Films (6 Films in 4 Cinemas)
- Concert films and jazz documentaries — dates vary throughout the festival weeks
Complete detailed program and tickets: blackforestjazz.de.
Highlights BlackForestJazz 2026
- Joo Kraus as opening headliner (September 24)
- Tingvall Trio with NDR Big Band — one of the most exciting European jazz crossovers
- David Helbock & Fola Dada — experimental program
- Jazz for Kids — family series
- 25 concerts spread across 24 locations
- UNESCO World Heritage site Kloster Maulbronn as a venue
- 6 additional jazz films in 4 cinemas
Prices BlackForestJazz 2026
Individual tickets per concert. Festival passes for multiple concerts. Prices vary depending on location and act. Tickets: blackforestjazz.de.
Practical information — BlackForestJazz
Getting There
Train: Pforzheim Hauptbahnhof (main station) (IC/EC/RE/RB from Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Mannheim). Some venues are accessible by bus/train — festival passes include public transport discounts.
Car: A8 Stuttgart–Karlsruhe (exit Pforzheim-Ost/West), A5 (exit Karlsbad), B463 into the Enz valley. Most venues have parking available.
Venues
Concerts in Pforzheim (Kulturhaus Osterfeld among others), Freudenstadt, Calw, Bad Wildbad, Maulbronn (Klosterkirche), Remchingen, and other locations. Jazz films in 4 cinemas. Detailed program: blackforestjazz.de.
Tickets
Individual tickets per concert, as well as festival passes (for multiple concerts). Sales via the festival website and Eventim. Seated concerts in larger halls, unreserved seating in smaller venues.
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Travel to this festival
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Where it takes place BlackForestJazz
Kulturhaus Osterfeld Pforzheim und 24 Standorte im Nordschwarzwald
Osterfeld, 75172 Pforzheim