Jazz à Porquerolles

Jazz à Porquerolles: Jazz in the Heart of a Paradise Island

Jazz à Porquerolles is a unique festival: organized on the island of Porquerolles, a natural gem of the Port-Cros National Park, it has been offering a week of jazz, blues, and world music for over twenty-five years in a preserved Mediterranean setting of rare beauty. Accessible only by boat from La Tour Fondue (Giens peninsula), the island gives the festival a special atmosphere, suspended between turquoise sea, pine forests, and fragrant scrubland.

Founded in the late 1990s, the festival has established itself as one of the unmissable events on the regional and national jazz scene. Its strength lies in the combination of free access concerts on the village's Place d'Armes and more intimate ticketed evenings in natural or heritage sites on the island, creating a festival experience that is both popular and discerning.

An Island, a Setting, Incomparable Magic

Porquerolles, with its 12 km length and 3 km width, is one of the few inhabited islands on the French Mediterranean coast whose nature is entirely protected. The absence of cars, the shaded alleys of the single village, the white sandy beaches, and the crystalline underwater depths make it a timeless place. During the festival, the island vibrates to the rhythm of jazz from morning to night, filled with festival-goers from the mainland and music lovers from around the world.

The open-air concerts on the Place d'Armes gather hundreds of spectators each evening, seated on the grass or standing, in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The island's night lights, the stars visible without light pollution, and the discreet sound of the sea just a stone's throw away create an irreplaceable atmosphere for live music.

An International Quality Jazz and Blues Program

The festival stands out for its eclectic programming centered on acoustic jazz, blues, soul, gospel, and African-American music. Over the years, it has hosted internationally renowned artists such as Marcus Miller, Richard Bona, Hugh Masekela, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Maceo Parker, Omar Sosa, and many young talents from the European jazz scene.

The 2025 edition, the 25th, was held from July 9 to 14, 2025, with a program mixing electric and acoustic jazz, Delta blues, and contemporary jazz, American soul, and world jazz. The diversity of styles reflects the festival's commitment to being an open musical crossroads, accessible to all ages and levels of jazz knowledge.

An Eco-Responsible Festival on a Protected Island

Aware of its responsibility towards the exceptional environment in which it takes place, Jazz à Porquerolles has adopted an eco-responsible approach: selective sorting, waste reduction, preferential use of boats for festival-goer transport, and raising awareness about the preservation of island ecosystems. The organizing association works in close collaboration with the Port-Cros National Park and the municipality of Hyères, to which Porquerolles belongs.

The Island of Porquerolles: Between Natural Heritage and History

Porquerolles administratively belongs to the municipality of Hyères (Var). Acquired by the State in 1971 after being privately owned, the island houses the Domaine de la Palme, Fort Sainte-Agathe, and numerous vineyards producing renowned rosé and white wines. The Port-Cros National Park, which has protected Porquerolles since its creation in 1963, ensures the preservation of marine and terrestrial flora and fauna. Jazz à Porquerolles is thus part of an exceptional territory, linking living culture and protected natural heritage.