Dresden's Jazz Days 25th Anniversary: Honoring Resilience, Expressing Diversity in Music Celebration
The Jazz Days Dresden, an international jazz festival in Dresden, Germany, is gearing up for its 25th anniversary celebrations. This festival, known for bridging jazz, classical, world music, and urban genres, has been a beacon of stylistic openness, artistic quality, and cultural diversity for the past quarter of a century.
The festival's anniversary celebrations include a strong program, a new year-round format, and an emotional highlight in Unkersdorf Church, where the festival began in 2000. The official jubilee will take place from September 19 to 21, 2025.
However, the festival faces a 55% funding reduction from the city of Dresden, while general institutional music funding only decreases by an average of 3%. In response to the cuts, the festival team, led by Artistic Director Kilian Forster and General Manager Tanja Grandmontagne, presents a "Jazz all year round" concept with individual events distributed throughout the year.
If additional funds are secured, the festival could still take place in its classic form in the autumn with up to two months of full programming. The city district Pieschen supports this year-round concept, with events like "Jazztage@Pieschen" held at venues such as the "Watzke" ballroom and potentially the "Goldenes Lamm" community hall.
The heart of the jubilee remains set: three days full of music, memories, and new impulses in Unkersdorf Church, with a program closely tied to the festival year 2001. This concept has been the heart of the program and runs like a red thread through 25 years of festival history.
The Klazz Brothers, the founders and hosts of the festival, decisively shaped the festival's profile with their musical concept of "Jazz meets Classical meets World". The festival typically features around 100 concerts per year, attracts over 40,000 visitors, and invites more than 500 international artists from over 35 nations.
The support of funding from the city district councils in Pieschen, Loschwitz, and the old town makes this year-round format possible. Yet, Artistic Director Kilian Forster views this decision as a political affront against the festival's work and success.
Otfried Kotte from the cultural committee of the church council of the Ev.-Luth. Kirchgemeinde Linkselbische Täler is glad to open the church for the jubilee, as it is worth being seen by many visitors. Despite severe funding cuts, the festival team plans to continue with this new year-round concert format.
Managing Director Tanja Grandmontagne emphasizes that the festival needs open ears, bold decision-makers, and people who believe in the power of music. The Jazz Days Dresden, which began with a few concerts and a lot of idealism, has grown to become the largest crossover jazz festival in Europe.
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