Bologna Jazz Festival
International jazz in Bologna's theaters and squares
About Bologna Jazz Festival
The Bologna Jazz Festival
The Bologna Jazz Festival is a historic event rooted in the jazz tradition of the Emilia-Romagna capital. Organized by the Fondazione Bologna in Musica ETS, the festival is now one of the most anticipated events on the Italian music scene, taking place in the Municipality of Bologna, within the Metropolitan City of Bologna, with some extensions in recent years reaching Ferrara and Forlì.
A Festival Throughout the Year
The festival is not concentrated into a single week but spreads its programming across different times of the year. The First Steps section, in collaboration with the Camera Jazz & Music Club, offers concerts between winter and spring that preview the main season. During the summer months, the music moves outdoors to the city's squares, while the core of the festival animates Bologna's major theaters between October and November.
Great Names on Bologna's Stages
Over the years, the Bologna Jazz Festival has hosted legends of world jazz and protagonists of the contemporary scene: from fusion masters to acoustic guitar virtuosos, from great swing voices to new generations of composers. Concerts are held in prestigious venues such as the Unipol Auditorium, the Teatro Duse, and the Teatro Celebrazioni, as well as in clubs and squares in the historic center.
Bologna, UNESCO City of Music
The festival is an integral part of the Bologna UNESCO City of Music project, for which the Emilia-Romagna capital has been recognized. In addition to concerts, the festival offers an extensive educational program including concert-lectures, conferences, screenings, podcasts, artistic residencies, and workshops, making the Bologna Jazz Festival much more than just a series of shows: a true cultural laboratory spread across the territory.
Why It's Worth It
- A top-level program with internationally renowned artists
- Concerts in historic theaters and charming squares in the center of Bologna
- A festival that lasts for months, with events spread throughout the year
- Free events in the summer alongside ticketed major concerts in the autumn
Bologna Jazz Festival — edition 2026
The Bologna Jazz Festival 2026 confirms its formula spread throughout the year. The festival opens with the First Steps section, produced in collaboration with the Camera Jazz & Music Club, continues with summer outdoor concerts in Bologna's squares, and culminates in the autumn segment hosted in the city's major theaters, between October 13 and November 8.
Among the announced headliners are trumpeter Fabrizio Bosso with his quartet, guitar legend Al Di Meola, vocalist Kurt Elling with the Yellowjackets, and pianist Emmet Cohen. Concerts are held at the Unipol Auditorium, Teatro Celebrazioni, and Teatro Duse, with tickets on sale via VivaTicket.
Programme Bologna Jazz Festival 2026
First Steps (winter–spring) — Camera Jazz & Music Club
- Friday, February 20 — Michael Ragonese Quartet feat. Seamus Blake (sax)
- Friday, March 6 — Logan Richardson Trio with Riccardo Gola (double bass) and Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums)
- Saturday, April 18 — George Colligan Trio
Summer — outdoor concerts, 9:30 PM
- Tuesday, July 21, Piazza Vieira de Mello — Fusion Experience: Dave Weckl (drums), Richard Bona (bass and vocals), Ciro Manna (guitar), Mica Lecoq (keyboards) — free admission until capacity is reached
- Tuesday, July 28, Piazza Vieira de Mello — Cécile McLorin Salvant (vocals, piano, double bass, drums) — free admission until capacity is reached
Autumn — the festival's core in theaters, 9:15 PM
- Friday, October 16, Unipol Auditorium — Fabrizio Bosso Quartet
- Wednesday, October 28, Teatro Celebrazioni — Al Di Meola Acoustic Trio
- Tuesday, November 3, Teatro Duse — Kurt Elling and The Yellowjackets: Kurt Elling (vocals), Bob Mintzer (tenor sax), Russell Ferrante (piano and keyboards), Dane Alderson (electric bass), Will Kennedy (drums), in a tribute to the music of Weather Report
- Friday, November 6, Unipol Auditorium — Emmet Cohen with Benny Benack III (trumpet), Tivon Pennicott (saxophones), Joey Ranieri (double bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums)
The complete program and updated dates are published on the official website bolognajazzfestival.com.
Highlights Bologna Jazz Festival 2026
Prices Bologna Jazz Festival 2026
Practical information — Bologna Jazz Festival
Getting Here
Bologna is one of Italy's main railway hubs: Bologna Centrale station is connected by high-speed trains to Milan, Florence, Rome, and Venice. The festival venues are located in the city center or easily reachable by TPER public transport. By car, the highway exit is Bologna (A1, A13, A14); it is advisable to park in the park-and-ride lots and continue by bus or tram. Guglielmo Marconi Airport is connected to the center by the Marconi Express people mover.
Tickets
Tickets for theater concerts are on sale on VivaTicket. Summer concerts in the squares are free admission until capacity is reached. For concerts at the Camera Jazz & Music Club, reduced rates are available for Jazz Card holders and those under 30.
Information
Full program, updated dates, and details at bolognajazzfestival.com.
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Where does it take place — Bologna Jazz Festival
Unipol Auditorium, Teatro Celebrazioni, Teatro Duse