WND Jazz – International St. Wendel Jazz Days

Four Decades of Jazz in the Saarland

Anyone who listens to jazz in the Saarland or the greater region knows the abbreviation "WND Jazz". Since 1987, Jazzförderkreis St. Wendel e.V. — a volunteer-run association centered around its long-time chairman — has organized the International St. Wendel Jazz Days. From a regional experimental format, it has become an internationally recognized festival over the decades, attracting artists such as Arild Andersen, Nik Bärtsch, Maria João, Vincent Peirani, and Charles Lloyd to the Saarland province.

Norwegian Focus 2026

The 35th edition — counted as the "26th International Jazz Days" in the traditional festival cycle — will focus entirely on Norwegian jazz in 2026. With the 80-year-old bassist Arild Andersen, an absolute legend of Scandinavian jazz, performing with bandoneonist Daniele di Bonaventura, and saxophonist Marius Neset, the festival director and Jazzförderkreis present a top-class program. This Norwegian heavyweight is complemented by the Polish Adam Bałdych Trio, Swiss vocalist Andreas Schaerer with Daniel Garcia, and the French duo Louis Sclavis & Benjamin Moussay.

Saalbau St. Wendel as the Stage

The festival takes place in the acoustically warm Saalbau St. Wendel — a classic city hall right in the center. In addition, Jazzförderkreis uses the Kurhaus Harschberg (near Bostalsee), the Alsfassen cultural center, and occasionally churches and special venues. The atmosphere is focused: fixed seating, no late-night bar, but the highest musical attention. The audience is mixed — from jazz connoisseurs from the Saarland and the Palatinate to visiting fans from Hamburg, Berlin, and Paris.

Family and Youth Format

A special feature of the festival is the Sunday morning program "Jazz for Kids" or "Zirkus Jazzino" — an interactive format that playfully introduces children aged four and up to jazz. For years, WND Jazz has thus also positioned itself as an educational project that inspires young talent for improvised music.

Rooted in the Schaumberger Land

St. Wendel — the district town in the St. Wendel district — lies at the gateway to the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park, near Bostalsee, Schaumberg, and the Wendelinus Basilica. The festival benefits from the region's tourist appeal: many visitors come for a long weekend with concerts, hikes, and Michelin-starred restaurants.