Jazz Open Stuttgart

Jazz Open Stuttgart — Festival of the City

Jazz Open Stuttgart was founded in 1994 and has since developed into one of the most important jazz and pop events in Germany. The organizer is GdF jazzopen stuttgart e.V., which distributes the festival throughout the city center with a clear aesthetic program and unusual stage architecture — open-air at Schlossplatz, concerts in the courtyard of the Old Palace, intimate club nights at BIX. Schlossplatz is one of the most spectacular open-air settings in Europe: the New Palace as a baroque backdrop, the large square in front of it, the Königsbau on one side, Königstraße on the other.

Schlossplatz — The Main Stage

The headliner concerts take place at Schlossplatz — usually 6 to 8 evenings, admission from 5 p.m., main concert from 8 p.m. In 2026, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (July 6th), Teddy Swims (July 7th), Katy Perry (July 8th), Jamiroquai (July 9th), Lenny Kravitz (July 10th), Jamie Cullum & Joss Stone (July 11th), and Moby (July 12th) will be on stage. A program line that gives Jazz Open its reputation — Jazz in the broadest sense, with soul, pop, funk, hip-hop, and rock at the highest level.

Old Palace — Pure Jazz Tradition

The courtyard of the Old Palace offers the more intimate second stage with a classic jazz program: in 2026, MEUTE, Asaf Avidan, Curtis Stigers & SWR Big Band, Lee Ritenour & Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra (David Bowie Tribute), and Diana Krall (July 5th). This is where the jazz purists get their money's worth.

BIX Jazzclub and Open Stages

The renowned Stuttgart jazz club BIX becomes the third main stage during the festival days: Kurt Rosenwinkel, Joshua Redman, Eliane Elias, and other international jazz greats perform here. The Open Stages in the city center are free to access — they bring jazz and pop into the urban space and are an important part of the festival.

Stuttgart — The Festival City

Stuttgart (state capital of Baden-Württemberg, independent city 08111) is one of the important European jazz hubs with Jazz Open. The festival benefits from the city's high affinity for concerts — with Liederhalle, Schleyerhalle, MHP Arena, BIX, Theaterhaus, and many small venues, Stuttgart is one of the most frequently programmed music cities in Germany.