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Jazzfest Budapest 2025: Spotlight on European, African, and Asian Jazz
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The organizers and curators of Jazzfest Budapest have focused the 2025 program on showcasing jazz beyond the borders of America. Europe, Africa, and Asia are producing increasingly exciting musical innovations, with outstanding bands rising to prominence.
Jazzfest Budapest 2025
From April 27 to May 14, 2025, the 4th Jazzfest Budapest will feature performances by Avishai Cohen, Jojo Mayer, Dhafer Youssef, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Kinga Glyk, Tribute to Esbjörn Svensson Trio, and Miklós Lukács. The festival will include sunrise concerts, a special series celebrating International Jazz Day, and opportunities to discover young talents from across the globe, from Brazil to Italy, Austria to Korea. The event concludes with a gala evening dedicated to the living legend, Mihály Dresch.
The opening concert of Jazzfest Budapest 2025 will be performed by Avishai Cohen, one of the most remarkable double bass players of his generation, captivating audiences worldwide with music infused with Middle Eastern and Andalusian elements. Together with his quintet, Cohen will present both old favorites and new compositions from their Brightlight album.
Rarely do accordion and cimbalom share a stage, but on April 29, Miklós Lukács will perform with internationally acclaimed accordionist Vincent Peirani, double bassist György Orbán, and percussionist András Dés at the Eiffel Art Studios. On May 2, Jojo Mayer will present his Me/Machine project, an improvised duo that integrates analog drumming with artificial intelligence, where man mimics machine and machine mimics man.
Tunisian artist Dhafer Youssef bridges cultures through his music, blending traditional Arabic melodies with modern jazz improvisation and electronic sounds. A leader of the contemporary movement merging Eastern and Western music, Youssef will perform on May 4 at the Erkel Theatre.
In 2015, three young Hungarian pianists reached the top ten in the piano competition of the world-renowned Montreux Jazz Festival—a historic achievement. Ten years after this milestone, on May 5, the three pianists, Mátyás Gayer, Krisztián Oláh, and Áron Tálas, will reunite for a special performance, even sharing the stage simultaneously at three pianos.