Pozzuoli Festival Winter - Classic & Jazz

Winter jazz in the Phlegraean Fields

The Pozzuoli Festival Winter - Classic & Jazz is the winter version of the Pozzuoli Jazz Festival, the traveling event that has enlivened the Phlegraean territory every summer since 2010. While the summer edition brings jazz to Roman amphitheaters, castles, and seaside terraces, the winter series opts for a more intimate atmosphere: fewer concerts, cozy spaces, and an audience close to the musicians. Everything takes place in the Municipality of Pozzuoli, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, in the heart of one of the most famous volcanic landscapes in the Mediterranean.

A festival born in 2009

The Winter section is actually older than the summer festival: the first winter evenings date back to 2009, when the cultural association Jazz and Conversation, chaired by Antimo Civero, began hosting concerts in December and January, even before the Pozzuoli Jazz Festival was officially established. Since then, the formula has remained essentially the same: quality music, free admission, and a special focus on the venues hosting the performances. In December 2025, the festival celebrated its seventeenth edition.

Music and venues: the true hallmark

The festival has no fixed headquarters. Each event is hosted in a different location, chosen for its historical, artistic, or scenic value. In recent years, concerts have been held in spaces such as:

• Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, on Corso della Repubblica, in the center of Pozzuoli;
• Archaeological Park of the Phlegraean Fields - Rione Terra, the ancient acropolis of Puteoli brought to light with its underground decumanus streets;
• Villa Avellino - Historical Residence, a 19th-century mansion with a park overlooking the gulf;
• Akademia Cucina & More, on the shores of Lake Lucrino, between Pozzuoli and Baia.

The effect is that of a small cultural itinerary: those who attend all the events cross churches, archaeological sites, historic villas, and volcanic lakes in just a few days, discovering the city through music.

Classical and jazz on the same bill

The name of the festival says it all: Classic & Jazz. The program alternates classical music recitals—guitar, piano, chamber ensembles—with jazz sets in trios, duos, or quintets, often featuring musicians from the Neapolitan and national scenes. Some events adopt the "music and conversation" format, dear to the organizing association: the concert is intertwined with stories, anecdotes, and historical references, making the listening experience a narrative moment. It is a choice that makes the festival accessible even to those who do not regularly frequent jazz clubs.

A free and civic festival

The Pozzuoli Jazz Festival was born as a civic and cultural initiative, without structural public funding, supported by local sponsors and the collaboration of the municipalities of the Phlegraean area—Pozzuoli, Bacoli, Quarto, and Monte di Procida. The winter version maintains this approach: concerts are traditionally free of charge, subject to availability. It is a formula that has built a loyal audience over the years, consisting of Phlegraean residents and visitors from Naples who head to Pozzuoli for the holidays.

Pozzuoli and the Phlegraean Fields

Attending a concert here also means traversing a unique territory. Pozzuoli preserves the Flavian Amphitheater, the Macellum known as the Temple of Serapis, the Rione Terra, and the Solfatara; nearby are the Aragonese Castle of Baia, the Casina Vanvitelliana in Fusaro, and Lake Averno. During the Christmas season, the city is quieter than in summer: the town center lights, the promenade, and the seafood trattorias at the port naturally complete an evening of music.

Useful information

The winter program is usually announced close to the holidays, between late November and early December, through the festival's social media channels and local press. As these are limited-capacity venues, it is advisable to arrive early, especially for events in churches and historic villas.