Travel bucket list idea:
Copenhagen Jazz Festival
Copenhagen, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark
Credit Shutterstock.com/Oksana Ph
Last updated: 28 April, 2024
Denmark has long had a reputation for its jazz music traditions, so no surprise then it’s host to Europe, if not the world’s, greatest jazz festival.
Held every July since 1979, this is Copenhagen’s largest cultural festival with concerts performed everywhere from cobbled streets and outdoor spaces to bars and concert halls. Music is wide-ranging, from bebop to post-industrial fusion, with spoken word poetry and world music thrown in too.
It’s an absolute must for jazz fans and anyone else interested in broadening their cultural horizons.
Logistics
Price: Free
Minimum age: 0
Age suitable: 18+
Frequency: annually
When: 1st 2 weeks Jul
Duration: 10 days
Getting there & doing it
The festival takes place right across the city, on its streets, in its clubs, cafés and concert halls, and at open-air night venues. During the day, many of the outdoor venues have street food (and drinks) available.
The Copenhagen Jazz Festival Program is a 150-page plus booklet that offers a complete guide to the festival’s more than 1,000 concerts. For larger concerts featuring well-known acts, purchase tickets in advance via the website. Most performances are free.
When to do it
The 10-day festival is held in the first two weeks of July; dates change each year.
