Festival Django Reinhardt

The Living Legacy of Django Reinhardt

The Festival Django Reinhardt was born in 1968 from a unique evening organized in Samois-sur-Seine, a small village in Seine-et-Marne where the brilliant Manouche guitarist Django Reinhardt settled in 1951. It was in 1983, under the impetus of Jean-François Robinet, mayor of Samois, and Maurice Cullaz, president of the Académie du Jazz, that the festival took its current form as a major annual event. For nearly fifty years, this now legendary event has hosted the biggest names in world jazz, from Biréli Lagrène to Stochelo Rosenberg, including Thomas Dutronc, Ibrahim Maalouf, and Marcus Miller. The festival is now recognized as the world's largest celebration of gypsy jazz, attracting enthusiasts from all continents.

A Royal Setting for Jazz: The Château de Fontainebleau

Since 2017, the Festival Django Reinhardt has left the banks of the Seine in Samois to settle in the Parc du Château de Fontainebleau, on the Bois d'Hyver meadow. This move to a UNESCO World Heritage site has allowed the festival to increase its capacity and comfort, while retaining the friendly and rustic atmosphere that makes it famous. Festival-goers enjoy an exceptional setting, between French gardens and an ancient forest, to experience four evenings of music under the stars. The site features two stages, catering areas, and an artisan village, creating a vibrant hub for the duration of the festival.

An Eclectic Program Open to the World

While Manouche jazz remains the festival's DNA, the program has considerably broadened over the years to embrace contemporary jazz, world music, funk, soul, and current music. Each edition features over thirty bands spread across two stages, with four themed evenings that offer a borderless musical journey. The 2026 edition, the 46th, will notably feature Asaf Avidan, MEUTE, Cory Wong, and Thee Sacred Souls, illustrating this commitment to crossing genres and generations. The festival also offers free daytime activities, luthiery workshops, exhibitions, and artist meet-and-greets.

A Family-Friendly and Accessible Festival

The Festival Django Reinhardt is distinguished by its accessibility policy: entry is free for children under 13, making this event a prime family gathering. The warm and relaxed atmosphere, the absence of barriers between artists and the audience, and the beauty of the site all contribute to making each edition a unique moment of sharing. With nearly 20,000 festival-goers each year, the Festival Django Reinhardt has become one of the major cultural events in Seine-et-Marne and an ambassador of French musical heritage internationally.