Deutsches Jazzfestival Frankfurt

67 Years of Festival History

The Deutsches Jazzfestival Frankfurt is an institution: It has been held without interruption since 1953, making it the oldest continuous jazz festival in the world. It is organized by Hessischer Rundfunk (hr2-kultur) in collaboration with the City of Frankfurt am Main. In over seven decades, virtually all the major names in European and American jazz have performed here – the festival has helped shape the development of the jazz scene in West Germany.

Venue hr-Sendesaal and Frankfurt Clubs

The main venue is the hr-Sendesaal on Bertramstraße in Frankfurt's Nordend district. The concert hall, with its excellent acoustics, has been the festival's home for decades. In addition, there are the Frankfurt Club Nights on Saturday in legendary venues such as the Romanfabrik, the Denkbar, and the Jazzkeller – with concerts that run late into the night in a dense atmosphere.

Motto and Concept 2026

The 67th edition is under the motto "Von hier aus gesehen" (Seen from here). The program explores the traces left by European jazz and the distinct profile that has emerged on the continent. Artists from France, Great Britain, Norway, and the USA are the focus in 2026 – including Christof Lauer with an opening solo performance, French clarinetist Louis Sclavis, American pianist Myra Melford, British tenor saxophonist Emma Rawicz, and Émile Parisien in the closing concert.

Frankfurt as a Jazz City

Since the 1950s, Frankfurt am Main has been one of Germany's most important jazz cities. The famous Jazzkeller on Kleine Bockenheimer Straße is one of Europe's oldest jazz clubs. In October, this history culminates in an international forum at the Deutsches Jazzfestival.

Frankfurt am Main as a Jazz City

Frankfurt has its own jazz history. The Jazzkeller on Kleine Bockenheimer Straße, opened in 1952, is one of Europe's oldest continuously operating jazz clubs. Albert Mangelsdorff, the world's most important German jazz trombonist, lived and worked in the city. The Deutsches Jazzfestival is, in a way, the programmatic tribute to this tradition – and at the same time, its extension into the present.