Jazz au Sommet
Crossed jazz in the heart of the Pilat Regional Natural Park
About Jazz au Sommet
Created in 2007, Jazz au Sommet is a traveling jazz festival that unfolds each year in September in the villages of the Pilat Regional Natural Park, in the Loire region. Driven by an association of enthusiasts, the festival offers ten days of programming featuring emerging jazz and world music, blending regional talents from Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes with international artists from Brazil, Africa, and beyond. Far from the clichés of elitist and urban jazz, Jazz au Sommet champions popular and universal music in harmony with nature, through concerts in village halls, panoramic musical hikes, and educational workshops for all audiences. The festival spans several communes in the Haut Pilat region — Saint-Genest-Malifaux, Marlhes, Saint-Régis-du-Coin, Saint-Sauveur-en-Rue — and attracts around 2,600 festival-goers each year.
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Jazz au Sommet: When Music Reaches New Heights in Pilat
Since 2007, the Jazz au Sommet festival has been resonating with jazz in the heart of the Pilat Regional Natural Park, in the Loire mountains. What began as an initiative by jazz enthusiasts in Haut Pilat has become, in nearly twenty years, an unmissable event for emerging jazz in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, recognized for its discerning programming and its unique territorial roots.
A Traveling Festival in the Great Outdoors
Jazz au Sommet is distinguished by its traveling nature: concerts take place in several communes of Haut Pilat — Saint-Genest-Malifaux, Marlhes, Saint-Régis-du-Coin, and Saint-Sauveur-en-Rue — utilizing diverse venues such as multi-purpose halls, churches, market squares, the Jules Verne cinema, and the media library. This itinerant approach fosters a deep connection with the Loire region and brings the villages to life with jazz for ten days each September.
Programming Focused on Emerging Talent and Fusion
The festival rejects the clichés of elitist and urban jazz to champion popular and universal music. The programming highlights emerging jazz, notably through the Tremplin Jazz au Sommet (Jazz au Sommet Competition), held annually in February at Le Solar in Saint-Étienne, which showcases young regional bands. Recent winners include the Grenoble-based group Moustik Haterz and the Lyon trio Vega Missyl. Concerts blend contemporary jazz, world music, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and African music, in a spirit of fusion and openness.
Jazz and Nature: An Immersive Experience
One of the festival's strong markers is the fusion of music and nature. The Jazz Panoramiques (Panoramic Jazz) events are musical hikes that lead walkers to the summits of Pilat — near the Crêt de l'Œillon (1,364 m) — where musicians perform against spectacular panoramas of the Rhône valley and the Alps. The Jazz & Nature sessions offer a fusion of yoga and music, providing an intense moment of relaxation amidst the vast horizons of Pilat.
Educational Actions and Cultural Mediation
Since its inception, the Jazz au Sommet association has developed diverse educational activities to introduce all audiences to jazz music. Workshops for children and teenagers allow them to experiment with different instruments and facets of jazz. The Jazz Môme program, aimed at schools and nurseries, extends this cultural mediation effort throughout the year. The Jazz au Village festival, organized in June, brings musicians to the villages of Pilat, schools, nursing homes, restaurants, and village squares.
Jazz au Sommet — edition 2026
20th anniversary edition of Jazz au Sommet. The festival celebrates its 20th anniversary with an exceptional program from September 4 to 14, 2026, featuring 12 concerts of emerging jazz and world music in the Pilat Regional Natural Park. The Lyon trio Vega Missyl, winner of the 2026 Tremplin, will be featured.
20th Edition — 20 Years Already! September 4 to 13, 2026
Jazz au Sommet celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026 with an exceptional anniversary edition. The festival returns from September 4 to 13, 2026 for 12 concerts in the heart of the Pilat Regional Natural Park, true to its commitment to emerging jazz, musical fusion, and the connection between music and nature.
A Rich Anniversary Year with Many Events
To celebrate this twentieth anniversary, the festival is rolling out an expanded program throughout 2026:
- February 18-19: Tremplin Jazz au Sommet at Le Solar in Saint-Étienne — The Lyon trio Vega Missyl (Lucas Mendez on guitar, Léo Messina on double bass, Julien Ducruet on drums) wins the Tremplin against six selected regional bands.
- March 8: Jazz au Curieux Voyageurs
- April 24: Jazz et Vin (Jazz and Wine)
- May 30: Petite Nuit du Jazz (Little Jazz Night)
- June 2-12: Jazz au Village — 12 concerts in the villages, schools, and nursing homes of Pilat
- June 4: Jazz Swing Cham
- September 4-13: Grand Festival Jazz — 12 concerts
- October 12-16: Jazz Môme — Workshops in schools and nurseries
The Grand September Festival
The highlight of this anniversary year remains the Grand Festival in September, with 12 concerts spread across the communes of Haut Pilat. The trio Vega Missyl, winner of the 2026 Tremplin, will be featured alongside national and international artists. The traditional Jazz Panoramiques hikes, the Sommet Swing, and the Jazz & Nature sessions will be back for this special edition.
The full program will be announced in the summer of 2026 on the festival's official website.
Programme Jazz au Sommet 2026
2026 Calendar — 20th Anniversary
- February 18-19: Tremplin Jazz au Sommet — Le Solar, Saint-Étienne
- March 8: Jazz au Curieux Voyageurs
- April 24: Jazz et Vin
- May 30: Petite Nuit du Jazz
- June 2-12: Jazz au Village — 12 concerts in the villages of Pilat
- June 4: Jazz Swing Cham
- September 4-13: Grand Festival Jazz — 12 concerts
- October 12-16: Jazz Môme — Schools and nurseries
Concert Venues
- Cinéma Jules Verne — Saint-Genest-Malifaux
- Salle polyvalente — Marlhes
- Église — Saint-Régis-du-Coin
- Place du marché — Saint-Genest-Malifaux
- Médiathèque — Saint-Genest-Malifaux
- Chapelle de Rosey — Marlhes
- Various venues — Saint-Sauveur-en-Rue
Highlights Jazz au Sommet 2026
- 20th anniversary edition of Jazz au Sommet
- 12 concerts from September 4 to 13, 2026, in Pilat
- Vega Missyl (Lyon trio), winner of the Tremplin Jazz au Sommet 2026
- Expanded program throughout the year: Tremplin, Jazz au Village, Jazz Môme
- Jazz Panoramiques hikes in the Pilat summits
- Jazz & Nature sessions and Sommet Swing
- Full program to be announced in summer 2026
Prices Jazz au Sommet 2026
Practical information — Jazz au Sommet
Practical Information
Access
Saint-Genest-Malifaux is located in the Loire department (42), in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, in the heart of the Pilat Regional Natural Park. The village is 25 km from Saint-Étienne and 60 km from Lyon.
- By car: From Saint-Étienne, take the D1082 then the D37 towards Saint-Genest-Malifaux (approx. 30 minutes). From Lyon, follow the A47 towards Saint-Étienne then the D1082.
- By train: Nearest station is Saint-Étienne-Châteaucreux (TGV Paris-Saint-Étienne line, TER Lyon-Saint-Étienne). From the station, regional bus lines serve Saint-Genest-Malifaux.
- By bus: TIL (Transports Interurbains de la Loire) line from Saint-Étienne to Saint-Genest-Malifaux.
Concert Venues
Concerts take place in several communes of Haut Pilat:
- Cinéma Jules Verne — Saint-Genest-Malifaux (evening concerts)
- Salle polyvalente — Marlhes
- Église — Saint-Régis-du-Coin
- Place du marché — Saint-Genest-Malifaux (open-air concerts)
- Médiathèque — Saint-Genest-Malifaux
- Chapelle de Rosey — Marlhes
- Various venues in Saint-Sauveur-en-Rue
Ticketing
2025 Prices:
- Full price: €18 to €23 depending on the concert
- Reduced price (under 25s, job seekers): €10 to €14
- Some concerts and activities are free
Online ticketing on the official festival website: www.jazzausommet.com/billetterie and on HelloAsso.
Accommodation
Several accommodation options are available in Pilat: rural gîtes, B&Bs, and the special Jazz au Sommet package offered by the Pilat Tourist Office, combining accommodation, concerts, and nature activities.
Contact
Association Jazz au Sommet
3, rue du Feuillage — 42660 Saint-Genest-Malifaux
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.jazzausommet.com
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Travel to this festival
Book your train or bus to reach Jazz au Sommet at the best price.
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Where does it take place — Jazz au Sommet
Divers lieux du Haut Pilat (Saint-Genest-Malifaux, Marlhes, Saint-Régis-du-Coin, Saint-Sauveur-en-Rue)
3, rue du Feuillage, 42660 Saint-Genest-Malifaux