Jazzkaar Festival

Tallinn International Festival Jazzkaar is tone of the name cards of Estonian culture and the biggest jazz festival of the Baltic states, taking place since 1990. With an interesting and original program and bold solutions, Jazzkaar makes the best jazz festival with the smallest budget in the North. The ten-day festival Jazzkaar is the most visited festival in Estonia where over 3000 foreign artists from 60 countries have performed.

The peak moments of the festival have been covered by journalists from various countries and with the help of Klassikaraadio and EBU transmissions, millions of European jazz lovers have been part of it. Spring 2015 Jazzkaar festival was visited by 21 000 music lovers, which is an all-time record.

Estonian music industry chose Jazzkaar 2015 as the best music festival in Estonia. Jazzkaar has been named among the top festivals in Europe and has freshly been certified with the EFFE stamp of quality for 2015-2016. Jazzkaar is also a member of European Jazz Network that collaborates with other partner festivals in Estonia (e.g. Tallinn Music Week) and abroad (April Jazz, We Jazz, Kaunas Jazz etc).

In addition to the grand festival in the spring, MTÜ Jazzkaare Sõprade Ühing also organizes Jõulujazz (Christmas jazz) festival. Jõulujazz is an intimate two-week festival well-fitted into the season, that fills churches, concert halls, and clubs in the end of November and beginning of December with beautiful jazz music. In addition to that, the team also organizes concert seasons Talvejazz (Winter jazz), and Sügisjazz (Autumn jazz). Have a look here.

The biggest stars who have played at Jazzkaar are Bobby McFerrin (2011), Angie Stone (2009), Chick Corea (2012, 1994), Dianne Reeves (2010), Jan Garbarek (2012, 2003, 1997), Richard Bona (2014, 2011, 2003, 2002), John Scofield (2015, 2004), Charles Lloyd (2013, 2005, 1997, 1967), Bill Frisell (2014), Gregory Porter (2015, 2013), Pat Metheny (2014) and many others.