BargaJazz Festival

The BargaJazz Festival

Founded in 1986, the BargaJazz Festival is one of the longest-running and most prestigious jazz events in Tuscany. Organized by the Polyphonia APS Association, it brings the town of Barga—a charming medieval village in the Garfagnana area of Lucca—and numerous locations throughout the Serchio Valley to life every summer. In 2026, the festival marks its 40th anniversary, confirming its status as a key destination for jazz enthusiasts from Italy and abroad.

The International Competition

The beating heart of the event is the historic International Competition for Jazz Orchestra Arrangement and Composition, which has attracted composers and arrangers from all over the world for four decades. The final evenings are held at the Teatro dei Differenti in Barga, where the competing scores are performed live by the BargaJazz Orchestra. For the 2026 edition, the theme is dedicated to the music of Stevie Wonder: arrangers are invited to reinterpret the works of the great American artist, featuring the virtuoso chromatic harmonica player Grégoire Maret as a guest soloist.

A Distributed Festival

BargaJazz is not limited to the historic center: throughout July and August, concerts reach the villages and towns of the Serchio Valley and Garfagnana, including Calomini, Molazzana, Gromignana, Coreglia Antelminelli, Montefegatesi, Castiglione di Garfagnana, and Sant'Andrea di Compito. A "distributed" formula that combines great music with the charm of the landscapes and historic architecture of the Lucca territory.

2026 Events and Appointments

• July 30 – Special evening at the gardens of the Casa Museo Giovanni Pascoli in Castelvecchio Pascoli, with an ensemble directed by Nicolao Valiensi, in collaboration with the Youth Council of the Municipality of Barga.
• August 21-22 – Final evenings of the International Competition at the Teatro dei Differenti, with the BargaJazz Orchestra and Grégoire Maret.
• August 29 – Presentation of the "Jazz Requiem Mass" project by maestro Bruno Tommaso at the Teatro dei Differenti.
• August 30 – "Barga IN Jazz", the closing distributed event that fills the streets and squares of Barga Vecchia with music, featuring ensembles from the Siena Jazz University and Italian conservatories.

The program is enriched in August by two exhibitions set up in the historic center and at the Fondazione Ricci, as well as a series of concerts in the surrounding villages.

Barga and the Garfagnana

Listed among the "Most Beautiful Villages in Italy," Barga preserves a medieval historic center dominated by its Romanesque Cathedral. Its intimate atmosphere and panoramic position over the Serchio Valley provide the ideal backdrop for a festival that, for forty years, has combined musical research, education, and the promotion of the Tuscan territory. Today, BargaJazz is a meeting point for established musicians, young talents, and a loyal audience.