Commemorate the 25th anniversary of Jazz Days Dresden, honoring resilience, defiance, and the rich tapestry of musical varieties.

The Jazz Days Dresden, an internationally renowned jazz festival in Germany, is gearing up for its 25th anniversary celebration. Founded in 2000, the festival has been a cultural beacon in Dresden, attracting over 40,000 visitors and more than 500 international artists from over 35 nations.

In the heart of the celebration, the Unkersdorf church will reopen, a significant location in the festival's history. It was here, in 2000, that the Klazz Brothers, the festival's founders and hosts, were invited to perform. This year, the anniversary programme will be closely tied to the festival year 2001.

However, the festival faces funding challenges. The city of Dresden has announced a 55% reduction in funding for the Jazz Days Dresden, while general institutional music funding only decreases by an average of 3%. Despite this, the festival team, led by Intendant Kilian Forster and Managing Director Tanja Grandmontagne, is introducing a new year-round concert format.

This "Jazz all year round" concept, reminiscent of the festival's red thread throughout its 25-year history, will see events distributed throughout the year, with a high content density in the autumn. The Dresden district of Pieschen, along with Loschwitz and the Old Town, are supporting this initiative, providing funding for individual events throughout the year.

One such initiative is "Jazztage@Pieschen", featuring multiple jazz evenings hosted in local venues such as the Ball- and Brauhaus Watzke. The official anniversary event will also take place in the Unkersdorfer Church.

The festival stands for the bridge between jazz, classical music, world music, and urban genres, promoting stylistic openness, artistic quality, and cultural diversity. The Klazz Brothers, with their musical concept of "Jazz meets Classical meets World", have significantly shaped the festival's profile.

The new year-round concert format is a signal of the team's unwavering vision for an open, stylistically diverse festival for all. However, Intendant Forster expresses concern over the funding decision, viewing it as a political affront to the festival's work and success.

Managing Director Grandmontagne concludes that this time, the heart of the festival beats particularly loudly in Unkersdorf. She emphasizes the need for open ears, bold decision-makers, and people who believe in the power of music. Otfried Kotte from the cultural committee of the church board of the Ev.-Luth. Kirchgemeinde Linkselbische Täler is pleased that the festival team has remained loyal and brought high-quality music to Unkersdorf.

Before the pandemic, the Jazz Days Dresden was Europe's largest crossover jazz festival, hosting around 100 concerts per year. If additional funds are obtained, the festival could still take place in its classic form in the autumn, with up to two months of full programming from October 2 to November 30, 2025.

The Jazz Days Dresden 2025 will take place from September 19 to 21, 2025, in Unkersdorf, Germany. Despite the funding cuts, the festival team remains committed to its mission, promising a celebration that will resonate with jazz lovers and music enthusiasts alike.

Commemorate the 25th anniversary of Jazz Days Dresden, honoring resilience, defiance, and the rich tapestry of musical varieties.