41st Belgrade Jazz Festival 2025

October 22–25, 2025 | Dom omladine Beograda & Kolarac Endowment Hall

The Belgrade Jazz Festival, Serbia’s oldest and most internationally renowned jazz manifestation, steps into a new decade of its development with its 41st edition. Under the slogan “On the Jazz Path”, the festival will take place from October 22 to 25, presenting premiere performances, some of the most exciting contemporary artists from Serbia and abroad, and new, adventurous musical projects.

Remaining faithful to the artistic direction it has followed for over four decades, the festival continues to walk the path of excellence, innovation, and open dialogue with the currents of contemporary jazz. Along this path, audiences and artists together create a space where tradition meets experimentation, celebrating the authenticity that lies at the heart of jazz.

The festival will open on October 22 in Kolarac Hall, with the RTS Big Band conducted by Stjepko Gut, performing a specially curated program for the occasion. The evening will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of pianist, composer, and arranger Bora Roković, and pay tribute to the Yugoslav All Stars Band, formed in 1972 for the second Newport Jazz Festival in Belgrade by Aleksandar Živković — the recently deceased first artistic director of the Belgrade Jazz Festival.

The opening night will also feature a performance by the legendary French double bassist and composer Henri Texier, a long-time favorite of the Belgrade audience who has given several unforgettable concerts in the city, most recently at the 2019 edition of the festival.

The program continues through October 25 at Dom omladine Beograda, conceived as a meeting point between artists from the European, particularly Mediterranean, jazz scene and leading musicians from the United States.

One of the most anticipated appearances will be that of Wadada Leo Smith, the giant of American avant-garde jazz, visionary trumpeter, and composer, ranked as the world’s second-best trumpeter by DownBeat critics in 2025. Appearing as part of his farewell European tour, Smith will perform an intimate duo project with the brilliant Swiss pianist Sylvie Courvoisier.

The festival will also welcome James Brandon Lewis, the acclaimed American tenor saxophonist and composer, recognized as one of the most important contemporary jazz musicians of his generation. Lewis, who first appeared at the Belgrade Jazz Festival in 2015, returns this year as the Jazz Musician of the Year and Best Tenor Saxophonist, according to DownBeat critics. His James Brandon Lewis Quartet has been ranked among the top ten ensembles worldwide — a remarkable testament to his artistic ascent.

Representing the spirit of the Mediterranean, the festival will feature an extraordinary lineup of artists, many performing in Belgrade for the first time:

• Roberto Ottaviano Eternal Love (Italy / UK)
• Louis Sclavis & Benjamin Moussay (France)
• Marta Sanchez Trio (Spain / USA)
• Ricardo Toscano Trio (Portugal)

Late-night concerts at Amerikana Hall (DOB) will, as tradition dictates, showcase younger and forward-thinking jazz innovators, including Alexander Hawkins, the expressive British pianist, and the Israeli trio Shalosh, known for their poetic blend of jazz and Middle Eastern folklore. Each brings a unique vision to the stage, contributing to the festival’s mission to anticipate the future directions of jazz — ensuring a rich spectrum of artistic discovery.

The Serbian jazz scene will be represented by two major projects: Bosque Sound Community, led by bassist and composer Miloš Bosnić, and the Rastko Obradović Quartet, featuring special guest Jasper Høiby (Denmark / UK), the renowned double bassist and leader of the celebrated band Phronesis, who performed at the festival in 2011. Both Bosnić and Obradović will present music from their latest albums, released on international labels.

The grand finale of the 41st Belgrade Jazz Festival will be a jam session led by pianist Vladimir Maričić, whose four-decade-long career and stylistic diversity promise an engaging session across genres — from traditional and Latin jazz to vibrant Balkan rhythms.

This year’s festival promises an inspiring journey “on the jazz path” — a celebration of artistic mastery, exploration, and the timeless dialogue between musicians and audiences that defines the essence of jazz itself.

Tickets