Rocca San Giovanni Jazz

Jazz in the heart of the Costa dei Trabocchi

Every August, the village of Rocca San Giovanni, in the province of Chieti and overlooking the evocative Costa dei Trabocchi, becomes the jazz capital of Abruzzo. Rocca San Giovanni Jazz is an event that for over twenty years has brought great improvised music to the alleys and squares of one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy, in a setting made of stone, sea, and summer skies. The festival takes place in the central Piazza degli Eroi, which for three nights turns into an open-air stage animated by live concerts.

Quality artistic direction

The festival is curated by maestro Walter Gaeta, a reference point for jazz in Abruzzo, who every year builds a program capable of intertwining great masters with the new voices of Italian creativity. The festival's philosophy is clear: to offer jazz that is cultured yet accessible, attentive to artistic quality and the dialogue between generations. It is no coincidence that, alongside the concerts, the program also dedicates space to younger audiences with readings and storytelling moments designed to introduce new generations to the history and spirit of this music.

A village that becomes a stage

What makes Rocca San Giovanni Jazz special is the intimate atmosphere of the village: the audience listens to the concerts immersed in the historic center, with glimpses of the Adriatic Sea and the typical hospitality of the Abruzzo coast towns. Admission to the evenings is free, a choice aimed at making jazz a heritage shared by the entire community and the many tourists who populate the Costa dei Trabocchi in summer.

Part of the Estate Roccolana

The festival is one of the highlights of the Estate Roccolana, the rich summer calendar promoted by the Municipality of Rocca San Giovanni, which between July and August offers concerts, cinema under the stars, food and wine events, theatrical performances, and traditional festivals. In this context, jazz represents the moment of greatest cultural prestige, capable of attracting enthusiasts from all over Abruzzo and beyond.

A Ferragosto tradition

Held close to Ferragosto, Rocca San Giovanni Jazz is now a consolidated tradition of the Abruzzo summer, an opportunity to combine a holiday on the coast with the discovery of an authentic village and high-level musical programming. In the Abruzzo Region, between the hills and the sea of the Chieti province, the festival continues to tell, edition after edition, this territory's love for jazz.