Jazzfest Berlin

One of the world's most important jazz festivals

Since 1964, Jazzfest Berlin has been a leading address for contemporary jazz on the European continent. Organized by the Berliner Festspiele and supported by federal cultural policy, the festival annually brings together jazz legends and rising stars, avant-garde and tradition, in early November. 2026 marks the 63rd edition — an anniversary coinciding with the 75th birthday of the Berliner Festspiele.

Four venues, one spirit

The main venue is the Haus der Berliner Festspiele on Schaperstraße in Wilmersdorf. However, the festival thrives on its network of venues spread across the city:

• A-Trane (Pestalozzistraße/Charlottenburg) — legendary jazz club, traditionally hosting late-night sessions
• Quasimodo (Charlottenburg) — Berlin's oldest jazz club, operating since 1975
• Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (Breitscheidplatz) — a sacred space for solo and ambient-oriented performances
• Occasional special venues (Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berghain Kantine, radialsystem)

Program philosophy

Under the artistic direction of Nadin Deventer, Jazzfest Berlin has established itself since 2019 as a curatorial platform for a broad spectrum of jazz — from African-American free jazz and European improvisation music to transnational hybrid projects. The festival annually awards the Albert Mangelsdorff Prize (German Jazz Award), one of the most important accolades in the German jazz scene.

What makes the 2026 edition special

In 2026, two anniversaries coincide: the 63rd edition of the festival and the 75th birthday of the Berliner Festspiele. The full program will be released in September 2026. As in 2025, around 27 acts with over 120 musicians from 20 countries are expected. Three live broadcasts via Deutschlandfunk Kultur, ARD, and rbb radio3 will ensure nationwide reach, as always. A preceding Community Week (workshops, lunch concerts, sessions in Moabit) has been dedicated to Berlin's jazz scene beyond the festival for several years.

Berlin as the jazz capital

The city of Berlin in the state of Berlin hosts one of Europe's densest jazz scenes — with the A-Trane, Quasimodo, Donau115, Schlot, b-flat, and the Berlin University of the Arts „Hanns Eisler“. Jazzfest Berlin is both the highlight and the resonance chamber of this year-round scene — and the reason why Berliners often associate late October with jazz.