Name: Kasseler JazzFrühling 2026
Start: 2026-02-27T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-03-28T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Mehrere Spielstätten in Kassel

JazzFrühling

About JazzFrühling

The Kasseler JazzFrühling will run for a whole month for the first time in 2026: the 17th edition will showcase international jazz in Theaterstübchen, Schlachthof, Dock4, and Staatstheater from February 27th to March 28th, 2026. Headliners: Al Di Meola, Émile Parisien, Viktoria Tolstoy, Jakob Manz, David Helbock, Jacob Karlzon. 17th edition and programmed for the first time as a month-long festival: from February 27th to March 28th, 2026, the Kasseler JazzFrühling will be spread across Theaterstübchen, Schlachthof, Dock4, and Staatstheater. Headliners Al Di Meola, Émile Parisien, Viktoria Tolstoy, Jakob Manz, David Helbock, and Jacob Karlzon.

Dates 27 Feb — 28 Mar 2026

Venue Kassel (06611)

Prices —

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

JazzFrühling — edition 2026

17th Kasseler JazzFrühling – for the first time as a month-long festival from February 27th to March 28th, 2026. Headliners: Al Di Meola, Émile Parisien, Viktoria Tolstoy, Jakob Manz, David Helbock, Jacob Karlzon, Matti Klein. Venues: Theaterstübchen, Schlachthof, Dock4, Staatstheater.

Opening with the European Jazz Night (Jakob Manz). Further program pillars: song-oriented formats, improvisation with the Volkswagen Soundorchestra, tango reinterpretation by the Astor Piazzolla Quinteto, funk and soul by the Black Dog Groove Society.

Highlights JazzFrühling 2026

17th edition – for the first time as a month-long festival
Al Di Meola as fusion headliner
Émile Parisien – European saxophone avant-garde
European Jazz Night to open with Jakob Manz
Four venues in Kassel

Programme JazzFrühling 2026

Opening Night – Friday, February 27th, 2026

European Jazz Night with Jakob Manz (Saxophone)

Festival Program (Feb 27th–Mar 28th, 2026)

Al Di Meola – Fusion legend, guitarist (presumably Staatstheater Kassel)
Émile Parisien – French saxophonist, European avant-garde
Viktoria Tolstoy – Swedish jazz singer
David Helbock – Austrian pianist
Jacob Karlzon – Swedish piano virtuoso
Julia Hofer Duo – acoustic duo
Matti Klein – song-oriented format
Astor Piazzolla Quinteto – Tango reinterpreted
Black Dog Groove Society – Funk & Soul
Improvisation performance with the Volkswagen Soundorchestra

Venues

Theaterstübchen Kassel – intimate festival living room
Kulturzentrum Schlachthof – larger headliner stage
Dock4 – Kulturbahnhof, alternative atmosphere
Staatstheater Kassel – star concerts

Daily schedules and concert times are available on the pages of jazz-fun.de and the festival venues.

Prices JazzFrühling 2026

Individual tickets per venue and act, advance booking via Theaterstübchen Kassel and the festival website.

Practical information

Practical information — JazzFrühling

Getting There

ICE stop Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe, then tram to the city center. Most venues are located in the city center or at the Kulturbahnhof – reachable on foot or by tram.

Tickets

Advance booking via Theaterstübchen Kassel and the festival website. Individual tickets depending on the venue and act.

Dates

February 27th – March 28th, 2026.

Tip

For jazz travelers: Combine two to three concert evenings in Kassel and use the Documenta Halle (urban art engagement), Wilhelmshöhe Palace (Old Masters), and the Bergpark as a day program.

From Concert Series to Month-Long Festival

The Kasseler JazzFrühling is one of the most remarkable jazz festivals in Middle and Northern Hesse. What began in 2010 as a smaller concert series at Theaterstübchen Kassel is now a festival of supra-regional importance. 2026 marks a turning point: for the first time, the festival will run for a whole month – from February 27th to March 28th, 2026. 17 festival days, spread over 30 calendar days, will take place across several venues in the city.

Open Concept of Jazz

Artistically, the festival works with an "open concept of jazz" that includes current European positions as well as the border areas to soul, fusion, pop, and improvised music. This curatorial line is clearly evident in the 2026 program: from fusion classic Al Di Meola to European saxophone innovator Émile Parisien, Swedish jazz singer Viktoria Tolstoy, German saxophone shooting star Jakob Manz, Austrian pianist David Helbock, and Swedish piano virtuoso Jacob Karlzon.

European Jazz Night to Open

The opening will be the European Jazz Night with Jakob Manz – a young German saxophonist who has been considered a European jazz hope in recent years. The festival will also feature song-oriented formats (including Matti Klein), an improvisation performance with the Volkswagen Soundorchestra, a tango reinterpretation by the Astor Piazzolla Quinteto, as well as funk and soul with the Black Dog Groove Society.

Four Venues in the City

Four Kassel venues are hosting the festival:

Theaterstübchen Kassel – the city's intimate jazz living room, the festival's organizer's home
Kulturzentrum Schlachthof – larger stage for headliner concerts
Dock4 – industrial building at Kulturbahnhof, alternative atmosphere
Staatstheater Kassel – large stage for the star acts (presumably for Al Di Meola)

Documenta City with a Jazz Ear

As the Documenta city, Kassel has a strong cultural scene; jazz has long been a niche format. With the JazzFrühling and its 17 festival evenings, Kassel is no longer an insider tip in March – jazz travelers from Frankfurt, Göttingen, Hanover, and even Berlin come for individual concerts.