Fest Jazz 2026

Fest Jazz at Chateauneuf-du-Faou, takes place on the banks of the River Aulne in one of the most beautiful corners of Brittany. There are four stages (all within a 3 minute walk) and the spectators can wander between them as they wish and as the music takes them. The festival, directed by a team of young people, is much more “cool” and relaxed than many other jazz festivals. Our slogan is “More Woodstock than Conservatoire”! During the weekend there are over 40 concerts and 140 musicians with New Orleans and swing jazz being at its heart. However, it also features other styles: bluegrass, boogie-woogie, folk, world music and rock’n’roll . Swing dance is also at the heart of the weekend, with dancers coming from all over Europe to enjoy the music and the designated dance floors. Recent artists have included Tuba Skinny, Gunhild Carling, Stochelo Rosenberg, Malo Mazurié, Andrea Motis, the David Hermlin Trio, Jean Baptiste Franc, as well as dozens of superb up and coming young groups. The artists for 2026 will be announced from 1st December 2025 on our website.There is also a “Big Band Workshop” held for five days alongside the festival, with, every year, forty budding instrumentalists learning how to play in a Big Band under the auspices of four professional teachers. Their concert, on the final day of the festival, is a big moment!All the stages are covered by large marquees for the performers and the musicians (it sometimes rains in Brittany!). And there are three bars, food trucks, snacks and (of course !) excellent freshly made Breton crépes. There is also an organised “Family Area” with activities, games and workshops for young children.Fest Jazz is organised by a local voluntary group, the “Association Jazz Kreiz Breizh”. The strong values of the association are injected into the festival:-Encouraging young people into the world of live music, as spectators, musicians and organisers.Taking positive action, to encourage women in the music industry. In 2025 50% of the groups at Fest Jazz had female leads.Encouraging international artists and spectators. In 2025, artists came from Germany, the UK, the USA, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Russia as well as France. And we welcomed spectators from Norway, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Ireland, Switzerland, the UK, Ireland and even the United States and Australia. We want to give our little village a ‘window on the world’.Involving the community: over 250 villagers act as volunteers; they are very proud of “their” festival.Encouraging “Culture for All” with our Fringe Festival that organizes concerts in the tiny villages and hamlets around Chateauneuf.As well as Fest Jazz in July, our association organises concerts and swing dances throughout the year, as well as a project “Jazz à l’Ecole’. A group of musicians visits the schools, colleges and lycées in Brittany and present the history of Jazz through the history of the USA (slavery, segregation, struggle for Civil Rights), all illustrated by music and songs. Over a hundred schools have taken part in this project.Fest Jazz is more than just a festival !