NovaraJazz
The jazz festival spread across the city of Novara and the Rice Lands
About NovaraJazz
A festival spread across the heart of Piedmont
NovaraJazz is one of Italy's premier contemporary jazz events and the definitive music festival for the city of Novara and its entire province in Eastern Piedmont. Organized by the Rest-Art Cultural Association, the festival presents music as a travel experience: sound engages with architecture, landscape, food, and local heritage, creating a journey that connects the historic city center with the surrounding villages, vineyards, and rice fields.
The two-weekend formula
The festival follows a well-established two-weekend format. The first weekend takes music out of the city, into historic villas, wineries, and evocative local spots (such as Casa Antonelli in Maggiora or locations nestled in the Rice Lands), often accessible via cycling routes and slow-travel paths designed for sustainable tourism. The second weekend brings jazz back into the heart of Novara, enlivening the Broletto Courtyard, the Salone dell'Arengo, and the city's historic churches and palaces.
Music, art, and street jazz
Alongside evening concerts, NovaraJazz fills the days with NJ Street Jazz, a series of free performances that turn the squares and streets of the historic center into vibrant stages from morning to afternoon. The program also includes photography exhibitions, guided tours of Antonellian architectural heritage, jazz aperitifs, events for children, and new musical productions created under the WeStart banner, the Music Production Center of Eastern Piedmont.
An international showcase
With over one hundred artists involved in each edition, NovaraJazz serves as a showcase for the best of Italian and international jazz, focusing on both big names and emerging projects or original commissions. The festival makes Novara, the provincial capital, a meeting point for musicians, enthusiasts, and curious travelers eager to discover the region through music.
NovaraJazz — edition 2026
La XXIII edizione di NovaraJazz si è svolta dal 29 maggio al 7 giugno 2026 con un focus dedicato alla Svizzera e alle sue produzioni jazz, in collaborazione con Pro Helvetia. Confermata la formula dei due weekend: il primo dedicato al territorio della Provincia di Novara, il secondo concentrato nel cuore della città. L'edizione ha presentato una nuova identità visiva firmata dallo studio milanese Tomo Tomo e quattro nuove produzioni WeStart (Instant Cypher, Witchess, PSOAS, Alsogood), oltre all'adesione alla Rete Antonelliana per la valorizzazione del patrimonio architettonico.
Programme NovaraJazz 2026
Venerdì 29 maggio — Inaugurazione
- Apertura del festival con l'inaugurazione della mostra fotografica "Jazz Women" di Paolo Caivano.
Primo weekend (30–31 maggio) — Il territorio
- Concerti nelle ville storiche e nei luoghi del Novarese, con il Swiss Focus: tra gli ospiti Julie Campiche a Casa Antonelli di Maggiora e il progetto District Five.
- Itinerari ciclabili e percorsi slow tra le Terre del Riso.
Secondo weekend (4–7 giugno) — La città
- Giovedì 4 giugno, ore 21:15 — Laura Jurd in "Rites & Revelations" al Salone dell'Arengo del Broletto.
- Concerti diffusi tra Broletto, chiese e palazzi storici del centro, con artisti come Fabrizio Bosso, Rita Marcotulli, Naïssam Jalal, Gianni Coscia e Bassolino.
- NJ Street Jazz: esibizioni gratuite di street band nel centro storico durante le giornate del weekend.
- Visite guidate FAI al Santuario di Boca, allo Scurolo di Sant'Agapito e all'Asilo Alessandro Antonelli.
Per il dettaglio completo di orari e luoghi si rimanda al programma ufficiale su www.novarajazz.org.
Highlights NovaraJazz 2026
Prices NovaraJazz 2026
Practical information — NovaraJazz
Location
The festival headquarters is the Broletto Courtyard, located at Via Fratelli Rosselli 20 in Novara, but concerts take place at various venues throughout the historic center (churches, palaces, Salone dell'Arengo) and across the Province of Novara.
Getting there
Novara is well-connected by train: the station is just a few minutes' walk from the historic center and is served by direct lines from Milan and Turin. By car, the city is easily reached via the A4 (Turin-Milan) and A26 motorways.
Tickets
Full passes, mini-passes, and single tickets are available online via the Dice.fm platform and the festival's Linktree channel. Numerous events, including NJ Street Jazz, offer free admission.
Contact
Associazione Culturale Rest-Art, Corso Cavallotti 29, Novara — [email protected] — www.novarajazz.org
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Where does it take place — NovaraJazz
Cortile del Broletto e sedi diffuse
Cortile del Broletto, Via Fratelli Rosselli 20, 28100 Novara