Be Bop or Be Dead

Be Bop or Be Dead: Jazz Claimed in Belfort

Since 2016, the Be Bop or Be Dead festival has proudly represented jazz in Belfort. Born from the initiative of the Bonus Track association, active in producing jazz concerts in the city since 2012, the festival immediately declared its ambition with a name that nods to the bebop manifesto: jazz is a living, current, essential music.

Its founding message is simple: to show that jazz, far from being a genre frozen in the past, is more than ever a contemporary music, capable of surprising, moving, and bringing people together. To achieve this, the festival has always combined artistic excellence with accessibility, inviting both regulars and newcomers to discover the vast universe of jazz.

A Festival in Belfort's Iconic Venues

Be Bop or Be Dead has taken up residence in Belfort's main concert halls. Le Granit, the national stage of the Territoire de Belfort, and La Poudrière have hosted the major ensembles and invited soloists, offering festival-goers a first-rate sound and architectural setting.

The concerts presented a wide stylistic palette, from bebop to contemporary avant-gardes, including modal jazz, free jazz, jazz-rock, and improvised music. This deliberate eclecticism has remained the festival's hallmark since its early editions.

Leading Artists

Among the artists invited over the editions of Be Bop or Be Dead are major figures of contemporary jazz: Roberto Fonseca, a Cuban pianist with eclectic influences, notably enchanted the Belfort audience during the 2019 edition. Guillaume Perret, a Franco-Swiss saxophonist with infectious energy, has also graced the Belfort stage. Each edition has been distinguished by the encounter between high-caliber jazz and a local audience eager for discovery.

From Be Bop or Be Dead to Jazz à Belfort

The festival evolved under this name until 2022, before adopting the name Jazz à Belfort, thus consolidating the identity of a complete jazz season. But the spirit of Be Bop or Be Dead — the conviction that jazz is vital, urgent, necessary — continues to animate every edition. The Bonus Track association perpetuates this flame by organizing both the annual concert series and the annual festival.