Spasimo Jazz Summer – The Brass Group

Jazz is reborn at the Spasimo

In 2026, the Spasimo Jazz Summer marks one of the most anticipated returns to Palermo's cultural scene. After nearly four years of silence and restoration, the Santa Maria dello Spasimo Monumental Complex—the roofless 16th-century former church that became a symbol of the historic center's revival in the 1990s—is once again a permanent music venue, thanks to the Brass Group Foundation. The open-air nave, with its Gothic arches illuminated by the evening light, welcomes back the sounds of jazz to the heart of Palermo, Sicily.

An open-air jazz club

The layout recreates the elegance of summer jazz clubs: small tables arranged in the nave, table lamps, a small bar, and an intimate capacity of about two hundred spectators per night. It offers an up-close listening experience, far from the scale of large stages, designed to bring the audience the pleasure of live music just steps away from the performers. From June 12th through September, the schedule features weekly events that alternate between different musical styles and generations.

The program: from jam sessions to great soloists

The lineup is designed to showcase both established names and rising stars of the jazz scene:

• Jam sessions and young talents mid-week, serving as a showcase for students and graduates of the Brass Group school;
• Local bands, featuring ensembles that animate Palermo's vibrant music scene;
• Renowned national and international soloists on weekends, for the most highly anticipated performances.

The inauguration is entrusted to the Sicilian Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Domenico Riina, featuring a tribute to the music of Ennio Morricone, enriched by the harmonica of Giuseppe Milici and the vocals of Lucy Garsia.

Part of the Sicilia Jazz Festival circuit

The Spasimo joins the Jazz Village, the network of stages in Palermo's historic center linked to the Sicilia Jazz Festival (kicking off June 27th), which also includes the Real Teatro Santa Cecilia, Palazzo Chiaramonte Steri, and the Botanical Garden. The Brass Group's summer season thus spans several historic city venues, with the Spasimo serving as the beating heart of the chamber and club programming.

A symbolic landmark of Palermo

Visiting the Spasimo during a concert means experiencing a piece of Palermo's history: commissioned in 1509 and never completed, remaining roofless for centuries, the complex has become an emblem of urban recovery and rebirth. Returning to listen to jazz here, under the sky of the Kalsa district, is an experience that blends heritage, music, and Mediterranean atmosphere in one of Sicily's most fascinating settings.