Estival Jazz Haute-Marne
The traveling jazz festival of Haute-Marne anchored in Chaumont
About Estival Jazz
Estival Jazz Haute-Marne is a jazz festival created in 2015 by double bassist Diego Imbert in Autreville-sur-la-Renne. Initially traveling through the heritage sites of the department, it became anchored in Chaumont in 2022, at Le Nouveau Relax and in emblematic venues like the Jardin du Donjon. Supported by the association Jazz à Chaumont, the festival offers a demanding program mixing contemporary jazz, blues, and world music, with recognized national artists.
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A festival born in the villages of Haute-Marne
Estival Jazz was born in 2015 in the small village of Autreville-sur-la-Renne, at the initiative of double bassist Diego Imbert, a Parisian musician who fell in love with Haute-Marne. The festival was first built as a traveling event, investing heritage sites and unusual places across the department each summer: country churches, castle courtyards, restored barns. This original formula helped forge a strong link between jazz and the rural territory of Haute-Marne, offering the public intimate concerts in exceptional settings.
From traveling to anchoring in Chaumont
Building on its success, the festival forged a partnership with the City of Chaumont in 2020 for a series of concerts, then for the opening of Estival Jazz in Haute-Marne in 2021. In 2022, the event settled exclusively in Chaumont, investing the Jardin du Donjon, the Au Signe national graphic design center, and the courtyard of the Palais de Justice. Le Nouveau Relax, the city's convention-based venue, became the beating heart of the festival, hosting the main concerts in a quality auditorium, a few minutes' walk from the train station and the Town Hall.
A demanding and accessible program
The artistic direction, managed by Diego Imbert, favors a sophisticated but open program, mixing contemporary jazz, revisited standards, blues, and world music. The festival has hosted leading artists such as Biréli Lagrène, Henri Texier, Sophie Alour, André Ceccarelli, Sanseverino, David Linx, and Sélène Saint-Aimé. Each edition offers several evenings of concerts, free jazz aperitifs, late-night jam sessions, and educational workshops in conjunction with the regional conservatory, in a spirit of transmission and sharing that makes jazz accessible to all audiences.
A new associative dynamic
Initially supported by the association Trébim Music founded by Diego Imbert, the festival is now supported by the association Jazz à Chaumont, chaired by Brigitte Frosio-Simon, with Frédéric Vauge as secretary and Marc Duval as treasurer. This new structure, more rooted in the local fabric, unites many members and works in close partnership with the City of Chaumont, the Department of Haute-Marne, the Grand Est Region, and cultural players in the territory such as Arts Vivants 52. The festival aims to make Chaumont a recognized jazz destination in the Grand Est region.
Estival Jazz — edition 2026
The 2026 edition of the Festival Jazz à Chaumont is scheduled to take place at Le Nouveau Relax. The program, under the artistic direction of Diego Imbert, will be announced later.
2026 Edition - Festival Jazz à Chaumont
The festival is expected to return to Le Nouveau Relax in Chaumont for a new edition in spring 2026. Diego Imbert, artistic director, has announced his intention to recruit nationally renowned artists, including nominees for the Victoires de la Musique awards and recipients of the Prix Django Reinhardt. The exact dates and program will be announced on the official website and the Jazz à Chaumont association's HelloAsso page.
Prices Estival Jazz 2026
Practical information — Estival Jazz
Access and location
The festival mainly takes place at Le Nouveau Relax, a convention-based venue located at 15 bis rue Lévy-Alphandéry, 52000 Chaumont. The venue is accessible on foot in 5 minutes from the Chaumont SNCF train station (via the pedestrian bridge) and 10 minutes from the Town Hall through the historic center. Free parking is available in the immediate vicinity of Le Nouveau Relax, including the train station parking lot and the Boulingrin parking lot.
Coming to Chaumont
By train, Chaumont is served by TER Grand Est from Paris-Est (approx. 2h30 journey), as well as from Troyes, Langres, Vesoul, and Dijon. The SNCF station is a short walk from Le Nouveau Relax. By car, the city is accessible via the A5 motorway (Chaumont exit) then the N19. From Paris, count about 3 hours of driving. From Reims or Nancy, about 2 hours. Carpooling is often organized via the festival's social media to facilitate access for festival-goers coming from the surrounding communes of Haute-Marne.
Festival venues
In addition to Le Nouveau Relax, which hosts the main concerts in its modern 450-seat auditorium, the festival also uses other emblematic venues in Chaumont depending on the edition: the Jardin du Donjon des Comtes de Champagne for open-air concerts on warm summer evenings, the courtyard of the Palais de Justice for intimate acoustic performances, the national graphic design center Le Signe for cross-disciplinary events between jazz and visual arts, as well as bars and cafes in the city center for late-night jam sessions, notably the Ze Bock and the Relax Bar which extend the festive atmosphere late into the night.
Ticketing and prices
Tickets are available online on the HelloAsso platform (search for 'Jazz à Chaumont') as well as on-site on the evening of the concerts, subject to availability. Full price: approximately 10 euros per concert evening. Reduced price: 5 euros (students, job seekers, under 18s). Free for children under 12 accompanied by an adult. The weekend jazz aperitifs and the opening educational concerts are free access. It is recommended to book online in advance as capacities remain intimate. For any ticketing information, contact the association Jazz à Chaumont by email at [email protected] or by phone at 06 15 36 73 36.
Period and times
The festival generally takes place in spring, early May, over four days (Thursday to Sunday). Main concerts start in the evening from 8:30 PM on weekdays and 6:30 PM on Sundays. Free jazz aperitifs are offered at 6:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. Educational concerts with students from regional conservatories open some evenings from 6:00 PM. Jam sessions in partner bars in the city center extend each concert evening, offering amateur and professional musicians the opportunity to meet in a friendly atmosphere.
Catering and services
A refreshment stand offering drinks and light snacks is available at the festival site at Le Nouveau Relax. Numerous restaurants, brasseries, and bars are located in the immediate vicinity in the pedestrianized city center of Chaumont, offering a wide choice of dining before and after the concerts. Le Nouveau Relax is accessible to people with reduced mobility (access ramp, reserved spaces, adapted toilets). Various accommodations are available in Chaumont: hotels, bed and breakfasts, and gîtes, which can be found on the website of the Chaumont Tourist Office.
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Where does it take place — Estival Jazz
Le Nouveau Relax
15 bis rue Lévy-Alphandéry, 52000 Chaumont