Deutsches Jazzfestival Frankfurt - Deutsches Jazzfestival Frankfurt 2026

The Deutsches Jazzfestival in Frankfurt am Main is the oldest continually held jazz festival in the world, first staged in 1953. Founded by the German Jazz Federation, it quickly became the premier annual jazz event in West Germany, showcasing the best German musicians and providing the main impetus for German jazz.

Over the decades, the festival evolved to include international collaborations, hosting legendary pairings like Volker Kriegel with Alan Skidmore and Eberhard Weber with Pharoah Sanders. Many prominent German jazz artists, including Caterina Valente and Markus Stockhausen, launched their careers here as newcomers.

Today, the festival is organized by the local broadcaster Hessischer Rundfunk and the City of Frankfurt, with full radio broadcasts. Attendees can expect a rich program of both established and emerging jazz talent in a historic setting that has shaped the genre for over 70 years.