Jazzwoche Berlin

Berlin as a Jazz Metropolis

For decades, Berlin has been considered one of Europe's most important jazz capitals. What was long scattered across individual clubs (A-Trane, Quasimodo, Zig Zag, b-flat, Donau115) and in the major concert halls (Philharmonie, Konzerthaus, Pierre-Boulez-Saal) has been bundled into a city-wide festival by Jazzwoche Berlin since 2019. The initiator is IG Jazz Berlin e.V., the professional association for jazz and improvised music in Berlin, funded by the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.

collective improv(e)ment

The 2026 motto plays with the double meaning of 'improvement' and 'improvisation' and asks the question of collective improvement – both musically and structurally. How does a scene organize itself? How are fees, funding, spaces, and visibility distributed fairly? The discourse days on June 20th and 21st invite musicians, organizers, funding institutions, and the public to engage in conversation.

One Week, Dozens of Stages

The heart of the festival is the concerts themselves: around 90 performances in more than 40 Berlin venues, from concert halls to Kreuzberg clubs to backyard gardens in Neukölln or Pankow. Jazzwoche does not curate all concerts centrally but offers a common umbrella for concerts that are taking place this week anyway – with a curated opening, coordinated marketing, and a central program tool that facilitates audience visits to multiple venues.

Opening at Club Gretchen

The 2026 opening on June 19th will feature the opening concert at Club Gretchen in Kreuzberg, with the Kelvin Sholar Trio and Ensemble Unique (Composition and Conduction: Holly Schlott). Admission: free. Typical for Jazzwoche: music, discussions, and industry networking in one place.