Albi Jazz Festival

Albi Jazz Festival: A Week of Musical Immersion in Mid-Winter

Created in 2020 by the Scène Nationale d'Albi-Tarn, the Albi Jazz Festival has quickly become a major event in the jazz scene in Occitanie. Every year in late January, for a week, the city of Albi vibrates to the rhythm of jazz in all its forms: bebop, contemporary jazz, Afro-Cuban jazz, free jazz, improvisation, and Creole music.

Two Iconic Venues

The festival unfolds across two main sites. The Grand Théâtre d'Albi, the performance hall of the Scène Nationale, hosts the official program concerts in an intimate setting that fosters proximity between artists and the audience. On the theater's forecourt, the Magic Mirrors, a mirror tent with a unique atmosphere, offers free concerts with open access at lunchtime and in the evening from 6:30 PM, creating a space for discovery and conviviality open to all.

A Demanding and Open Program

The artistic direction of the festival favors a panoramic approach to jazz, creating a dialogue between roots and modernity, legends and the new generation. Each edition highlights the diversity of jazz aesthetics—Argentinian, Cuban, African, European, and American influences—and gives significant space to women musicians and contemporary creations. The festival complements its musical program with film and documentary screenings, a vinyl fair, live radio broadcasts from the Grand Théâtre hall, and DJ sets in the evening.

An Accessible and Friendly Festival

True to the public service mission of the Scène Nationale, the Albi Jazz Festival strives to make jazz accessible to the widest possible audience. The free concerts at the Magic Mirrors allow for the discovery of artists without reservation or tickets, while passes grant access to all official program concerts at reasonable prices. This commitment to openness helps make each edition a moment of sharing and musical discovery for an ever-growing audience.