dazz – Jazz Winter Darmstadt
Ten days of winter jazz in Darmstadt's venues
About dazz Festival
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Darmstadt — Secret Jazz Capital
Anyone who thinks German jazz history was made in Köln, Berlin, or Hamburg is overlooking Darmstadt. The city in South Hesse is home to the Jazzinstitut Darmstadt, one of the most important archives for European jazz research – and with the Bessunger Knabenschule, the Jazzclub Darmstadt, and the Centralstation, it boasts a dense network of vibrant venues. Since 2017, the dazz Festival has united this scene into a ten-day winter jazz marathon, celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026.
Concept: The City as Festival Stage
Unlike centralized festivals with a single main location, dazz is spread across the entire city center. Over ten days, audiences can travel from the Centralstation at Carree to the Knabenschule in Bessungen, experience intimate sets in the vaulted cellar beneath the Jazzinstitut, attend dinner concerts in the Künstlerkeller, or combine concerts with swing dance classes at the HoffArt-Theater. This polycentricity is intentional: it connects concertgoers and city residents, making jazz a city-wide experience.
Programmatic Breadth
dazz embraces a broad definition of jazz – the 2026 program ranges from classics like the Tingvall Trio (with their album „PAX“) and the vocal-focused singer Lisa Bassenge to the experimental Berlin trio Y, who blend synth, bass, and drums, oscillating between psychedelic and rock jazz. The Christoph Schöpsdau Bigband upholds the big band tradition in „O&A – Originals & Arrangements“, while the Rubinettes take audiences back to the swing era of the 1920s to 40s with their three-part harmonies.
Young Audiences Included
A special feature of dazz: it explicitly targets children. On the festival Sunday, the Centralstation opens its doors for a children's concert featuring arrangements of Sesame Street songs, performed by the Hamburg Art Ensemble. This introduces jazz as an accessible language from an early age – an educational mission that aligns with the Jazzinstitut's self-image as a pedagogical institution.
Accompanying Program: Exhibition and Film
dazz is more than just a concert series. In 2026, the gallery at the Jazzinstitut will showcase the exhibition „Voices of Change“, exploring the political dimension of jazz in the 20th century, referencing artists like Nina Simone. The documentary film „Talking to You“ about saxophonist Christof Lauer will be screened at the Programmkino Rex, followed by a Q&A session with the audience.
dazz Festival — edition 2026
The anniversary edition brings together Darmstadt's most important jazz venues under one festival roof for the 10th time. The program was curated by the Centralstation in collaboration with partners such as the Jazzinstitut, the Bessunger Knabenschule, and the Jazzclub Darmstadt.
Programme dazz Festival 2026
Friday, January 9, 2026 — Opening
- 7:00 PM — Voices of Change: Exhibition opening at the Galerie im Jazzinstitut
- 7:00 PM — Lisa Bassenge Trio, Centralstation
- 7:00 PM — Bluespapas (Concert + Swing Dance Class), HoffArt-Theater
- 8:00 PM — Y (Berlin: Synth/Bass/Drums), Gewölbekeller unterm Jazzinstitut
- 8:30 PM — Engel Trio, Kultur Club Sumpf
Saturday, January 10, 2026
- 6:30 PM — Rebirth & Ulli Jünemann Tribute (Wróblewski Arrangements), Gewölbekeller
- 7:30 PM — Martin Lejeune 3, Bessunger Knabenschule
- 7:30 PM — Origina1Nerd, Jazzclub Achteckiges Haus
- 8:00 PM — Viento Terral, HoffArt-Theater
Sunday, January 11, 2026
- 5:30 PM — Pola Pablo Bischoff: „Classical Guitar meets Ragtime“, HoffArt-Theater
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
- 6:30 PM — Swing Dance Class, Sunny Side Swing Studio
- 7:00 PM — Trio Balance (Dinner Concert), Künstlerkeller
- 7:00 PM — Tingvall Trio (Album „PAX“), Centralstation
- 8:00 PM — Film Screening „Talking to You“, Programmkino Rex
- 8:00 PM — Cetto/Partheil/Kociemba, Nine's
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
- 7:30 PM — Esquinas de Nuez, Agora am Ostbahnhof
- 8:00 PM — DJ Night, Centralstation
- 9:00 PM — Frischzelle DNS, Bessunger Knabenschule
Thursday, January 15, 2026
- 6:30 PM — Lindy Hop Class, Sunny Side Swing Studio
- 7:00 PM — Off Time Connection, IL.SALONE
- 7:30 PM — SVM3 (Marinchenko/Boudevin/Zaychenko), Agora am Ostbahnhof
- 7:30 PM — The Rubinettes, Künstlerkeller
Saturday, January 17, 2026
- 7:00 PM — Talk & Tunes with Oskay, Centralstation
- 7:30 PM — Thea Florea Jazz Collective, STAGE
- 7:30 PM — Jutta Glaser & Claus Boesser-Ferrari, Agora am Ostbahnhof
- 7:30 PM — Denise Frey, Künstlerkeller
- 7:30 PM — Black Dog Groove Society, Jazzclub Achteckiges Haus
Sunday, January 18, 2026 — Closing
- 2:00 PM — Children's Concert: Sesame Street Songs with the Hamburg Art Ensemble, Centralstation
- 3:00 PM — „Talking to You“: Film + Audience Q&A, Programmkino Rex
- 6:30 PM — Christoph Schöpsdau Bigband: „O&A – Originals & Arrangements“, Bessunger Knabenschule
- 7:30 PM — Bene Aperdannier Trio (Piano/Guitar/Percussion), Gewölbekeller
Full program and tickets: dazz-festival.de/programm-2026
Highlights dazz Festival 2026
- 10th Anniversary Edition
- Over 30 concerts in 10 days
- Headliner Tingvall Trio (Album „PAX“)
- Lisa Bassenge Trio at Centralstation
- Children's concert with Sesame Street songs (Hamburg Art Ensemble)
- Exhibition „Voices of Change“ at the Jazzinstitut
- Film program „Talking to You“ about Christof Lauer
- Christoph Schöpsdau Bigband to close
Prices dazz Festival 2026
Ticket prices vary per concert. Reservations via individual venues or the festival website.
Practical information — dazz Festival
Getting There
By train: Darmstadt Hauptbahnhof (main station), then a 5-minute walk to Centralstation (Im Carree 1). By car: Take the A5 or A67 to Darmstadt; parking garages at Luisencenter or Mathildenhöhe. Venues in Bessungen are accessible by bus or tram.
Tickets
Tickets are sold separately for each concert by the organizers (Centralstation, Jazzinstitut, Bessunger Knabenschule, HoffArt-Theater, Kultur Club Sumpf). Reservations can be made via the festival website dazz-festival.de.
Tip
For those attending multiple concerts: Plan your routes between venues on foot or by city bus. Concerts are often staggered, allowing for attendance at more than one event per evening.
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Travel to this festival
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Where it takes place dazz Festival
Centralstation, Bessunger Knabenschule, Jazzinstitut u.a.
verschiedene Spielstätten Innenstadt, 64283 Darmstadt