Written by With Autumn now upon us, Berlin once again becomes the gathering ground for one of the continent’s most prestigious and forward-looking jazz festivals. Jazzfest Berlin, now entering its 62nd edition, unfolds over four intense days from October 30 to November 2, 2025, under the evocative theme “Where Will You Run When the World’s on Fire?”
This program is not merely a showcase of profound musical talent; it stands as a reflection on urgency, resilience, and the transformative power of jazz as a conduit for cultural dialogue and global connectivity.
Berlin’s Jazzfest has long been a crucible for the adventurous spirit that defines contemporary jazz, and this year’s lineup, curated by esteemed artistic director Nadin Deventer, offers no exception. More than 120 artists from across 20 countries congregate in the German capital, embodying a panorama of sound that traverses genres, geographies, and generations. The festival’s deliberate embrace of diversity and experimentation continues a proud tradition of presenting artists who challenge and expand the jazz idiom.
Marta Sánchez © Larisa Lopez
The festival’s core activity is framed within the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, a venue renowned for its elegant architecture and exceptional acoustics, which are perfectly suited to the nuanced demands of jazz and improvised music. Surrounding the main hall, multiple satellite venues including the legendary A-Trane and Quasimodo jazz clubs, and the somber yet compelling space beneath the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, contribute atmospheric variety to the listener’s experience. Each space offers an intimate yet dynamic setting, complementing the festival’s ethos of inclusivity and innovation.
Opening the program is the German premiere of Dafnie EXTENDED, a project led by French-Norwegian cellist Amalie Dahl that cross-pollinates Nordic and South American sonic textures through collaboration with Argentinian and Swedish musicians. This intercultural constellation offers a metaphor for Berlin’s position as a crossroads between tradition and global modernity. Similarly, the European premiere of Elder Ones, the latest offering from American vocalist-composer Amirtha Kidambi, promises a vibrant and genre-bending exploration of jazz, hip hop, and experimental music, underscoring the festival’s commitment to progressive artists who defy easy categorization.
Barry Guy, Angelica Sanchez, Ramón López © Franck Bergerot
Among the festival’s centerpiece presentations are powerful large ensemble works that represent the concerted efforts of some of jazz’s most influential voices. The London Jazz Composers Orchestra, helmed by the venerated double bassist and composer Barry Guy, makes a significant statement with the world premiere of Double Trouble III. This ambitious project features veteran improvisers and rising stars alike, including pianists Marilyn Crispell and Angelica Sanchez, weaving complex narratives with orchestral sensitivity and improvisational daring.
Similarly, the Fire! Orchestra, a pan-Scandinavian ensemble known for its genre-blurring intensity, presents “Words,” a new commission combining free jazz, post-rock, and avant-garde sensibilities in a sprawling sonic expedition. These performances underscore the festival’s dedication to both honoring jazz’s rich orchestral traditions and pushing them into new, uncharted territories.
Jazzfest Berlin remains a vital nexus where established legends share stages with emerging innovators. This year sees the celebrated saxophonist David Murray premiering his Quartet’s “Birdly Serenade” in Germany. Murray’s work consistently melds free jazz and deep blues roots, offering the festival’s audience a visceral and intellectual experience. Alongside, exciting newcomers such as trumpeter Felix Henkelhausen illuminate the program with “Deranged Particles,” while saxophonist James Brandon Lewis brings his powerful, outspoken quartet to the city’s stages, melding spiritual jazz with contemporary social commentary.
Beyond the performances, Jazzfest Berlin nurtures community and educational outreach. Beginning October 27, the festival’s “Moabit Joint Venture” program brings musicians together with a broad cross-section of the local Berlin community—from young children to senior citizens—through workshops, collaborative projects, and concerts centered around shared creation and cultural exchange. This engagement takes place at multiple venues including Gropius Bau, the primary schools of the Moabit district, and other neighborhood spaces, emphasizing the festival’s role as a civic and creative catalyst, not just a musical event.
The festival’s relationship with media ensures that the vibrant dialogue it generates resonates far beyond Berlin. Public broadcasts on ARD and Deutschlandradio capture key moments, while the renowned yearly ARD Jazznacht event rounds off the festival, consolidating its presence in Germany’s cultural calendar. Through these broadcasts and live recordings, the spirit and innovation of Jazzfest Berlin reach a global audience, expanding jazz’s impact in a digital age.
James Brandon Lewis Quartet © Thomas Sayers Ellis
The theme, “Where Will You Run When the World’s on Fire?” resonates loudly and poignantly in 2025’s socio-political context. Inspired by guitarist Marc Ribot’s urgent inquiry, it frames jazz as a music of resistance, a mirror to societal tumult, and a source of hope and renewal. This year’s festival thus invites reflection on music’s role in confronting contemporary crises and imagining new futures, reaffirming jazz as both a language of individual expression and collective solidarity.
In essence, Jazzfest Berlin 2025 stands as an exhilarating confluence of sound, identity, and purpose. It positions itself in the lineage of great jazz festivals as a space where past, present, and future converge; where experimentation walks hand in hand with tradition; where global voices meet local stages in a conversation that pulses with immediacy and imagination.
Tickets for Jazzfest Berlin are still available. Visitors seeking inspiration, challenge, and renewal are invited to immerse themselves in a festival that, true to its name, remains a vital beacon in contemporary jazz culture.
More information as well as the complete program is available on their website.
Last modified: October 14, 2025
