Festival Jazz Verdon
Over 20 free concerts touring the villages of Haut-Var in July
About Jazz Verdon
Jazz Verdon: Music in freedom in the villages of Haut-Var
The Festival Jazz Verdon is a unique human and musical adventure in the Var festival landscape. Since its creation, this touring festival has taken the radical approach of bringing music to where people live, in the villages and hamlets of Haut-Var, rather than forcing residents to travel to a single venue. This founding choice gives Jazz Verdon its unique character and growing popularity.
Ten villages, twenty concerts: touring jazz
Each edition of the festival mobilizes about ten villages in the Haut-Var and Gorges du Verdon region, each hosting one or more concerts in its most emblematic public spaces. Aups, the small capital of Haut-Var known for its truffles, its courtyards, and its medieval fountains, is often the central point of the festival. Around it revolve villages like Tourtour, nicknamed 'the village in the clouds', Villecroze with its troglodyte caves, Salernes, Barjols, Moissac-Bellevue, Montmeyan, Baudinard-sur-Verdon, and other towns in the area.
This territorial network allows the festival to offer over twenty concerts in a week, in various formats: late afternoon street concerts, evening performances in village squares, open-air stages amidst vineyards and garrigue. Each location imposes its own acoustics and atmosphere, making each concert unique.
Jazz and blues: a demanding and friendly program
The musical program of Jazz Verdon covers a wide spectrum of jazz and blues: traditional New Orleans jazz, gypsy swing, contemporary jazz and fusion, acoustic and electric blues, soul, and funk. The festival hosts formations from duos to large ensembles, with local and regional musicians alongside nationally recognized artists. This mix strengthens the spirit of discovery and accessibility that is at the heart of the project.
The free admission to concerts is a deep conviction of the organizers: music should be accessible to everyone, without financial barriers. Villagers can attend concerts in their square or in front of their homes, passing tourists naturally find themselves there, and organized festival-goers travel the region from concert to concert, following their own musical itinerary.
An anchor in the Haut-Var region
Jazz Verdon would not be complete without its deep roots in the Haut-Var region. The concerts are often accompanied by tastings of local wines, regional products (truffles, honey, olive oil, cheeses), and meetings with local producers. This gastronomic and human dimension makes the festival a true moment of community life, going beyond just the musical experience to become a celebration of the Provençal art of living.
Fifteen years of loyalty to the territory
Now in its 15th edition in 2025, Jazz Verdon has built a loyal community of fans, volunteers, and institutional partners. The long-standing presence in the region's towns has created lasting links between the festival, the municipalities, and the residents. Each edition contributes to economically revitalizing the host villages by attracting visitors who extend their stay in Haut-Var to enjoy the entire program.
Jazz Verdon — edition 2026
The Jazz Verdon Festival returns for its 16th edition from July 11 to 19, 2026, faithful to its itinerant and free formula. For nine days, more than twenty jazz and blues concerts will take over the squares and streets of a dozen villages in the Haut-Var and the Gorges du Verdon, from Aiguines to Villecroze, passing through Aups, Quinson, Tourtour, Régusse, Baudinard, Moissac-Bellevue, and Saint-Antonin. All concerts are free and open-air, without reservation.
Jazz Verdon 2026 — 16th itinerant edition in the Haut-Var
From July 11 to 19, 2026, the Jazz Verdon Festival celebrates its 16th edition by perpetuating the principle that has defined its identity since its beginnings: bringing live music directly to the heart of the villages, rather than gathering the public in a single location. Each evening, one or more villages in the Aups and Gorges du Verdon area host a free open-air concert, in a shaded square or in the narrow streets of the old town.
The 2026 program brings together, as every year, professional groups covering a wide spectrum of jazz and blues — traditional jazz, gypsy swing, contemporary jazz, blues — from intimate duos to big bands. Among the announced events are the Gala Swing Quartet for the opening in Aiguines, as well as concerts in Aups, Quinson, Villecroze, and Tourtour spread throughout the week.
The anchoring in the Provençal terroir remains central to the project: evenings are regularly accompanied by tastings of Var wines and local products, making each concert a moment of community life as much as a musical event. Total free admission, without tickets or reservation, remains a conviction of the organizers.
Programme Jazz Verdon 2026
16th edition — July 11 to 19, 2026
Itinerant festival: one or more free open-air concerts per evening in the villages of the Haut-Var and the Gorges du Verdon. Concerts generally in the evening (around 9 PM). Program by evening (subject to changes by the organizer):
- Saturday, July 11 — Aiguines: Gala Swing Quartet (opening concert)
- Aups: Michel Pellegrino; Lionel Belmondo & le Sextet Messengers
- Thursday, July 16 — Quinson: Muskar
- Friday, July 17 — Villecroze: Chopin Jazz Project
- Saturday, July 18 — Tourtour: Big Band Jazz
- Concerts also announced in Régusse, Baudinard, Moissac-Bellevue, and Saint-Antonin
The full details (villages, precise times, headliners per evening) are disseminated by the Jazz Verdon Association, the host communes, and the Lacs et Gorges du Verdon Intercommunal Tourist Office (Aups, tel. 04 94 70 21 64).
Highlights Jazz Verdon 2026
Highlights for 2026
- 16th edition, from July 11 to 19, 2026
- More than 20 free concerts, without reservation, open-air
- Itinerant festival in a dozen villages of the Haut-Var and the Gorges du Verdon
- Jazz and blues in all their forms, from duo to big band
Prices Jazz Verdon 2026
Practical information — Jazz Verdon
Practical Information
Location
The festival takes place in about ten villages in Haut-Var, with Aups (83630) as the central point. Other participating villages vary by edition but generally include Tourtour, Villecroze, Salernes, Barjols, Moissac-Bellevue, and their surroundings.
Access
By car: Aups is accessible from Toulon via the D557 through Brignoles (approx. 1 hour), or from Draguignan via the D557 (approx. 40 min). A vehicle is essential to follow the festival from one village to another.
Transport: The Var intercity transport network is limited in this rural area. Carpooling is highly recommended via the festival's channels.
Free Admission
All concerts are completely free, with no reservation or entry ticket required. Concerts are held outdoors in the squares and streets of the villages.
Program
The detailed program of villages and times is available on the websites and social media of the festival and the Haut-Var community of communes.
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Where does it take place — Jazz Verdon
Aups et villages du Haut-Var (festival itinérant)
Place de la Mairie, 83630 Aups