The festival for jazz, global groove and electronic music

For more than 25 years, the Jazz&TheCity festival has transformed Salzburg’s historic Old Town into a vibrant stage for contemporary musical diversity and boundless improvisation with an international flair. Under the motto “true moments,” the four-day festival, held from October 15 to 18, 2026, invited national and international artists, music enthusiasts, and curious visitors to the city to share an unforgettable experience.

In a world where tens of thousands of AI-generated songs appear on streaming platforms every day, Jazz&TheCitysounds 2026 is sending a deliberate counter-signal: “true moments.” Because some things simply cannot be simulated. The moment a note is created, a glance exchanged between musician and audience, a spontaneous musical dialogue, or a story that suddenly becomes deeply personal. This year’s festival celebrates the real, immediate experience of music—live, intimate, and authentic. Jazz&TheCitysounds 2026 is more international than ever in 2026. Artists from the USA, Italy, France, Spain, Colombia, Iran, Mauritania, the Netherlands, Morocco, Yemen, Israel, and Turkey meet the crème de la crème of Austria’s music scene.

On October 14, 2026, we will once again welcome you to a special pre-opening in selected venues throughout Salzburg’s Old Town. 

Good to know
Admission to all events is free of charge.
There are no tickets or reservations — all events are First come, first served. The number of visitors admitted is subject to legal capacity regulations. Because even true moments come with one important rule: safety first.

The 2026 program series

The Soul of Jazz
Jazz can be many things—but it becomes especially soulful when its roots remain tangible. The Soul of Jazz explores the emotional side of jazz, from melancholic ballads to driving grooves. A musical journey through gospel, blues, and jazz—intense, moving, and full of feeling.

City Stories
Every city has its own sound, its own stories, and its own distinctive rhythm. City Stories brings urban musical worlds to Salzburg. Between jazz, folk, Viennese song, and world music, artists from Paris to Amsterdam and New York to Tehran tell their very personal stories.

The Art of Solo
One instrument. One musician. An entire audience. The Art of Solo celebrates one of music’s supreme disciplines: artists who can captivate an audience for an entire concert using nothing but their instrument and their personality. Stripped down to the essentials—and all the more immediate for it.

String-Break
Strings meet breaking boundaries. String-Break puts the spotlight on musicians who push musical boundaries with their string instruments. Whether guitar, lute, oud, or zither, tradition meets experimentation to open up new sonic worlds.

Hidden Tracks
Where does the journey lead? With Hidden Tracks, you only find out once you set off. Guided walks lead through the city to musical experiences in unexpected locations. A journey into the unknown, open to surprises and genuine moments.

Children’s Program
Jazz&TheCitysounds is also for the youngest music explorers. The children’s program invites kids to experience music in a playful, immediate, and multisensory way. Because genuine musical moments don’t begin in adulthood.