Jazz music has been around for centuries, and it has become a beloved genre for many music lovers. From the United States to Europe, there are some of the best jazz festivals in the world that you should definitely check out. The Cape Town International Jazz Festival is one of South Africa's most renowned jazz events. Held annually in March, it has been on the scene for more than nineteen years.
The Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival is another great event, held for more than four decades at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. It features delicious food and drinks, a Jazz Marketplace, and dozens of performances free of charge. The Eltham Jazz, Food and Wine Festival is another great event that takes place in Australia. It features a variety of jazz styles from classical to electronic, as well as delicious food and drinks.
The Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz is known as New England's largest free jazz event. It is held in mid-July in Hartford, Connecticut and attracts more than 50,000 jazz enthusiasts every year. Vinterjazz is a 17-day event held every February in Copenhagen, Denmark. It has been held since 1979 and features special program series such as Jazz for Kids, Future Sound of Jazz and Jazz'n Poetry.
The Monterrey Jazz Festival is another great event that donates its proceeds to music education. The Vanport Jazz Festival is a one-day event held in August in Portland, Oregon. It draws attention to Portland's enduring jazz heritage at the site of a flood that displaced a historically black neighborhood. The Montreux Jazz Festival is one of the most important festivals in the world, founded in 1967 on the Swiss coast of Lake Geneva.
Finally, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is an annual celebration that takes place in the city synonymous with jazz. It features concerts taking place in intimate jazz clubs all over the city, allowing you to sample everything New Orleans has to offer while enjoying the sounds of international jazz artists.