MeranoJazz Festival

Thirty years of jazz in Merano

The MeranoJazz Festival is one of the longest-running and most highly regarded jazz events in South Tyrol. Established in the 1990s and reaching its 30th edition in 2026, the festival takes place every July in Merano, an elegant spa town in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, in the Trentino-Alto Adige region. The artistic direction, entrusted to Vincenzo Costa since the very beginning, has built a festival capable of combining great live music with a European-scale educational project.

International concerts and Jazz Academy

MeranoJazz has a dual soul. On one hand, the evening concerts, which bring some of the most significant names in world jazz to the stage, hosted primarily at the Teatro KiMM in the Maia Bassa district and, for celebratory evenings, at the historic Teatro Puccini. On the other, the Jazz Academy, a cycle of masterclasses, individual lessons, and ensemble rehearsals that attracts young musicians from all over Europe every year, with final concerts performed by student ensembles.

A triple jubilee in 2026

The 2026 edition is particularly significant: it weaves together three anniversaries—the thirty years of MeranoJazz, the 85th birthday of pianist Franco D'Andrea, and the 25 years of the Jazz Academy. The program also pays tribute to the centenaries of Miles Davis and John Coltrane, two giants of 20th-century jazz.

The atmosphere of Merano

Attending MeranoJazz also means experiencing Merano at its most beautiful: walks along the Passirio river, the gardens, the Art Nouveau architecture, and the dual Italian and German soul of South Tyrol provide the backdrop for the musical evenings. A festival with an international profile but a human scale, where the audience can meet artists and students up close.

Why attend

• Concerts featuring internationally renowned soloists and bands at the Teatro KiMM in Maia Bassa
• Celebratory evenings at the Teatro Puccini, some with free admission
• The Jazz Academy, a benchmark for jazz education in Italy
• The unique setting of Merano and South Tyrol in the height of summer