Copenhagen Jazz Festival

When visiting Denmark, one of the first things you will notice is that this country and the people love music. The passion for music is so great that each year, Denmark has numerous festivals that provide all types of music entertainment to include rock and roll, classical, country, Irish, Cajun, gospel, blues, and of course, everyone’s favorite, jazz. To celebrate the incredible jazz music of Denmark, you want to take time to experience the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, held every year in the capital city.

The Copenhagen Jazz Festival is held annually in the month of July, always starting on the first Friday. This particular music festival is one of the largest and most popular, lasting a full 10 days! In all, you can expect to hear some 500 concerts, performed by local artists along with famous international artists. The exciting part of the Copenhagen Jazz Festival is that some of the festivals are in theaters while others are held along the canal banks, in historic squares, or simply in clubs and small cafes that line the streets.


When walking around the city at night during the festival, you will find all types of programs and genres of jazz. In this case, you might be on one street where good old-fashioned New Orleans jazz is playing, round the corner to hear new experimental jazz by the younger generation, and then just up the street, find fusion and swing. With that, everyone can enjoy the festival, finding the exact type of jazz loved best.

Looking around, you will also see people dancing in the streets, couples sitting at tables tapping their feet, and everyone getting involved in the excitement of the festival. To give you an idea of the incredible artists you will have the honor of hearing at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, there is Dexter Gordon, Kenny Drew, Thad Jones, and Stan Getz. These musicians are legendary and responsible for keeping jazz alive in Denmark.

Interestingly, the first festival was held in 1979 and while it was exciting and fun, just a few handfuls of people attended. Now just 26 years later, each year some 200,000 people come to share in the fun. If you want to experience some of the true tradition of the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, stop by places such as Montmarte and La Fontaine where original musicians are still pounding on the drums, beating the guitars, and blowing the horns.

In addition to the magic created by the jazz players, there is the quaintness of the street cafes, mouth-watering foods and pastries, excellent shopping, and of course, the warm people. Therefore, if you love jazz and culture, and are looking for a unique summer vacation but not sure where to go, you might consider heading to Denmark where you can enjoy some amazing music at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival.


Last Updated: 10/19/2006 3:14:00 PM

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