fill in — International Jazz Festival Saar
International Jazz Festival in the E-Werk Saarbrücken with Yellowjackets, Mario Biondi, and Rebekka Bakken
About fill in Festival
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A Young Festival with High Ambitions
The fill in International Jazz Festival Saar is still a young festival, with its first edition in 2023. The concept behind it is to make Saarland visible as a jazz location and, at the same time, to bring jazz back from dusty concert halls to the streets and open venues. The name "fill in" says it all: gaps in the Saarland cultural calendar are filled with quality jazz.
Main Venue E-Werk
The central heart of the festival is the E-Werk Saarbrücken, a repurposed industrial power plant and now one of the city's best concert venues. The main concerts will be held here over three evenings — from big band classics and vocal jazz to Latin and soul jazz crossovers.
Stars 2026
The fourth edition of the festival in 2026 brings together a remarkably international lineup:
- Yellowjackets (USA) — four-time Grammy-winning fusion legends
- Rebekka Bakken (Norway) — vocal jazz voice with a folk touch
- Mario Biondi (Italy) — vocal phenomenon of Italian soul jazz
- Grégory Privat (Martinique/France) — pianist with Caribbean roots
- Louisiana Avenue — Saarland-Palatinate Big Band
- Antonio Lizana (Spain) — flamenco-jazz saxophonist
More Than Three Evenings
The festival is present throughout the year with several formats: AVENUE (street festival at Quartier Eurobahnhof on May 8, free admission), Bars & Clubs (free concerts in Saarbrücken venues), BOSTALSEE (open-air weekend by the lake, July 30–August 2), BERLIN (Jazz in the Ministergärten on October 9), and ST. INGBERT (concert in the Stadthalle on October 24). The actual festival weekend at the end of June is the high-caliber core.
The Saar Jazz Context
With the fill in Festival, Saarland is closing a long-standing gap. The SR jazz scene was a quality-defining force for decades (Saarbrücker Jazz Festival, Jazznights of Saarländischer Rundfunk), but structurally underserved. fill in is putting this tradition on new footing — with a private sponsorship model, diverse venues, and a focus on young audiences.
fill in Festival — edition 2026
The festival team has confirmed the program for 2026: Yellowjackets, Rebekka Bakken, Mario Biondi, Grégory Privat, Louisiana Avenue, and Antonio Lizana will perform over three evenings at the E-Werk Saarbrücken. Accompanying this will be the street format AVENUE (May 8), free concerts at St. Johanner Markt (June 25), and the Bars & Clubs program in the city center.
The allocation of artists to the three evenings and the supporting programs will be finalized by spring 2026 on fillin-festival.de.
Programme fill in Festival 2026
Pre-Festival — AVENUE and City Jazz
- Friday, May 8, 2026 — AVENUE: Street festival at Quartier Eurobahnhof Saarbrücken (free admission, with food trucks and children's program)
- Thursday, June 25, 2026 — Open-air concert at St. Johanner Markt (free admission)
Friday, June 26, 2026 — E-Werk Opening
- 7:30 PM — Doors open
- 8:00 PM — Louisiana Avenue (Big Band) as opening act
- 9:30 PM — Rebekka Bakken (Vocal Jazz, Norway)
Saturday, June 27, 2026 — Main Evening
- 7:30 PM — Doors open
- 8:00 PM — Grégory Privat (Piano, Martinique)
- 9:30 PM — Antonio Lizana (Flamenco-Jazz Saxophone, Spain)
- 11:00 PM — Late Night Session with DJ and Jam Session
Sunday, June 28, 2026 — Headliner
- 7:30 PM — Doors open
- 8:00 PM — Mario Biondi (Soul Jazz, Italy)
- 9:30 PM — Yellowjackets (Fusion Jazz, USA) — Headliner and festival finale
Follow-up Formats Later in 2026
- July 30 – August 2 — fill in BOSTALSEE at Strandbad Gonnesweiler (Open-air, "Blues & Swing Night" and "Soul & Gypsy Night")
- October 9 — Jazz in the Ministergärten, Berlin
- October 24 — Concert in the Stadthalle St. Ingbert
Detailed setlists and supporting bands will be confirmed by May 2026 on fillin-festival.de.
Highlights fill in Festival 2026
- Yellowjackets as headliner — four-time Grammy-winning fusion legends
- Mario Biondi with Italian soul jazz
- Rebekka Bakken's vocal jazz from Norway
- Antonio Lizana — flamenco jazz from Spain
- Grégory Privat with Caribbean piano sounds
- Main venue E-Werk Saarbrücken
- Free accompanying program: AVENUE on May 8, City Jazz in June
Prices fill in Festival 2026
Evening tickets €25–€55 depending on the artist. Festival pass for all three days approx. €135. Children free admission (ticket still required). Discounts for students, seniors, and social benefit recipients. AVENUE and Bars & Clubs are free.
Practical information — fill in Festival
Getting There
E-Werk Saarbrücken is located at Kieselhumes 1, about 1 km from the main train station. Take the Saarbahn (all lines) to Saarbrücken Mitte, then a 10-minute walk or continue on Saarbahn U2 to Landwehrplatz. By car, take the A623 (exit Saarbrücken-Mitte), with parking available around the E-Werk.
Tickets
Online via fillin-festival.de or Reservix. Evening tickets €25–€55 (depending on the artist), festival pass for all three days approx. €135. Children free admission (ticket still required). Discounts for students, seniors, and social benefit recipients.
Accommodation
Hotels in Saarbrücken city center — Mercure, Park Inn, La Résidence. Hostels at the main train station.
Tip
The AVENUE street festival on May 8 and the Bars & Clubs program are free and a good introduction to the festival.
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Travel to this festival
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Where it takes place fill in Festival
E-Werk Saarbrücken (Hauptspielstätte)
Am Kieselhumes 1, E-Werk Saarbrücken, 66123 Saarbrücken