Muntagninjazz – Summer in Sulmona
The jazz festival spread across the villages and mountains of the Peligna Valley
About Muntagninjazz
A festival spread between music and nature
Muntagninjazz is one of the most original jazz festivals in Abruzzo: a widespread event that brings great music not only to theaters and squares but also to the forests, mountain huts, and peaks of the Apennines. The name itself combines the dialect word muntagna (mountain) and jazz, a perfect synthesis of a project that weaves improvised notes with natural landscapes. Its base is Sulmona, a city of art in the Peligna Valley in the province of L'Aquila, but the festival extends throughout the surrounding territory.
Ten municipalities, one single stage
The 2026 edition, which celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the festival, involves ten municipalities: Sulmona, Introdacqua, Capestrano, Pratola Peligna, Raiano, Pacentro, Anversa degli Abruzzi, Prezza, Campo di Giove, and Bugnara. Every corner of the territory — from the Peligna Valley to the Alto Sangro and the Sagittario Valley — becomes a protagonist with evening concerts, high-altitude hiking concerts, children's shows, and artist meet-and-greets.
The heart in Sulmona
The beating heart remains Sulmona, where the main concerts are held in the evocative Courtyard of Palazzo San Francesco, an elegant stage under the stars. Alongside the major paid evening events, Piazza XX Settembre hosts free evenings dedicated to the new generations, funk, folk music, blues, and world music, while the Courtyard of the Santissima Annunziata hosts family shows with the Fiabe Jazz projects. The program concludes with the Piano Piano per Sulmona festival, with pianos scattered throughout the historic center.
An identity-defining event for Abruzzo
Artistically directed by Daniele Quaglieri and organized by the Muntagninjazz Cultural Association, the festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Abruzzo Region, and the Municipality of Sulmona. In twenty years, it has become one of the benchmarks for jazz in Central Italy, capable of combining big national and international names with the promotion of the villages and nature of the province of L'Aquila.
Muntagninjazz — edition 2026
Twenty years of Muntagninjazz
The 2026 edition celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the festival with a program spread across ten municipalities: Sulmona, Introdacqua, Capestrano, Pratola Peligna, Raiano, Pacentro, Anversa degli Abruzzi, Prezza, Campo di Giove, and Bugnara. A whole month of concerts among historic squares, forests, and the peaks of the Abruzzo Apennines.
The heart of the program remains Sulmona, with the great evenings at the Courtyard of Palazzo San Francesco, the free evenings in Piazza XX Settembre, the family shows at the Santissima Annunziata, and the tenth edition of the Piano Piano per Sulmona festival.
Programme Muntagninjazz 2026
July 23-24 — Natural Theater of the Tirino Valley (Capestrano)
- Joy Garrison and Carlo Morena (Stevie Wonder tribute)
- Mimmo Locasciulli
July 30 — Bosco Plaja (Introdacqua)
- Inaugural concert with the Oversoul Street Band
August 6 — Introdacqua
- "From Band to Jazz": Billy Bros. Swing Orchestra with the Introdacqua City Band
August 11-17 — Courtyard of Palazzo San Francesco (Sulmona)
- August 11 — Banda Osiris with Marco Pastonesi and Alessandro D'Alessandro
- August 12 — Carolina Bubbico
- August 13 — Francesca Tandoi Trio with Max Ionata
- August 14 — Fabrizio Bosso Quartet
- August 16 — Gegè Telesforo
- August 17 — Bassolino
August 15-19 — Piazza XX Settembre (Sulmona)
- Four free evenings dedicated to the new generations: funk, folk music, blues, and world music
August 18-20 — Courtyard of the Santissima Annunziata (Sulmona)
- Fiabe Jazz: shows for children and families, in collaboration with Sedajazz
August 21-22 — Historic center of Sulmona
- Tenth edition of "Piano Piano per Sulmona", a widespread piano festival
- August 21 — Daniele Sepe
- August 22 — Dirotta su Cuba
To complete the lineup, hiking concerts at high altitude are scheduled throughout the month.
Highlights Muntagninjazz 2026
Prices Muntagninjazz 2026
Practical information — Muntagninjazz
How to get there
Sulmona is accessible by car from the A25 motorway (Pratola Peligna–Sulmona exit) and by train along the Rome–Pescara line and the historic Transiberiana d'Italia railway. The main concerts are held in the historic center, which is easily walkable.
Tickets
Many events have free admission, particularly the evenings in Piazza XX Settembre. For the evening concerts at the Courtyard of Palazzo San Francesco, tickets and season passes are available for purchase online via Ciaotickets and at authorized sales points in Sulmona.
Tips
For high-altitude hiking concerts, trekking shoes are recommended, and advance booking is advised due to the limited number of spots.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Noticed an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every proposal is verified by our team before publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Where does it take place — Muntagninjazz
Cortile di Palazzo San Francesco
Cortile di Palazzo San Francesco, 67039 Sulmona