Jazztage Dresden: 25 years of the festival celebration despite budget cuts!

Jazztage Dresden: 25 years of the festival celebration despite budget cuts!

Under the motto "Jubilee and challenge", the Jazz Days Dresden celebrate their 25th anniversary in 2025. On this special occasion, which will be celebrated in the Unkersdorf church from September 19th to 21st, 2025, the organizers build on the roots of the festival, which began there in 2000. But as reports Wochenkurier.info, the anniversary is under a shadow-the urban means were drastically shortened by 55 percent, which is a significant challenge for the largest crossover jazz festival in Europe.

Kilian Forster, the director of the jazz days, and managing director Tanja Grandmontagne have nevertheless launched a new year -round concert format to maintain tradition and continue to promote the exchange between jazz, classical, world music and urban genres. In addition, city councilors from Pieschen, Loschwitz and the old town have contributed to the fact that individual events can take place over the year. Also the support of the Ev.-Luth Cultural Committee. Kirchgemeinde Linkselbische valley, represented by Otfried Kotte, emphasizes the importance of the festival for the region.

cuts and program reduction

The current circumstances force jazz days into a drastic program reduction. Instead of the originally planned 100 concerts, only 20 events will take place for this year, as reported diesachsen.de. The low staff framework of the festival team with four and a half places makes it impossible for those responsible to implement the festival to the usual extent. Even if the number of visitors in 2023 almost reached the level before the Covid 19 pandemic and the utilization was over 90 percent, a cost increase of 40 percent could not be collected.

director Forster was optimistic: For 2024, a radical reduction of the festival is on the plan with the aim of securing the institution for the future. A benefit concert on April 23 in the Dresden Culture Palace could remedy this. If everything works out well, the Festival 2025 may then dare back the big serve to the old size.

an indispensable event

The jazz days have attracted well over 40,000 visitors in the past 25 years and presented more than 500 international artists from over 35 nations. The festival sees itself as a platform that not only promotes German jazz, but also stimulates a dialogue between different music styles. This philosophy is part of the tradition of other important jazz events, such as the German jazz festival in Frankfurt, which has existed since 1953, which continuously shapes the development of the scene and sets important impulses, as on the Wikipedia page.

The anniversary program in Unkersdorf is to orientate itself on the festival year 2001 and give visitors a nostalgic feeling. And even if the times are turbulent, the anticipation for the next jazz days remains noticeable, not least because the organizers face the challenge with creativity and passion.