The Paris Jazz Festival first hit the city in 1994 having been created by Franck Marchal and Olivier Bastardie. It has come to be a highly anticipated cultural event and runs every year during June and July. The 2015 Jazz Festival takes place from 7th June to 26th July and plays homage to the very best of international jazz, focussing this year on seven of its leading capital cities. With a total of 31 concerts over the course of eight weekends, musical workshops, activities and entertainment for both children and adults, the festival draws an average of 100,000 visitors per summer. It has come to be the leading jazz festival in France and Prisians of all ages and musical tastes come to enjoy it each year.
In the incredible setting of the Parc Floral botanical garden, in Paris's city centre, the concert is a huge summer attraction. Amazingly, the festival is free – all you pay for is the entrance to the botanical garden. Performances take place each Saturday and Sunday, and throughout the day various workshops, activities, debates etc are available. The aim is to get interest flowing through all the generations and there are performances by a range of different cultures with a Latin Jazz weekend, an acoustic Jazz and a circus jazz day being just some of the examples. Each week brings a different theme, focussing on the main jazz capitals: London one weekend, Rome, Bamako, Stockholm and so on. Exploring the local scenes of different capital cities, the festival illustrates the impact jazz has had around the world and its capacity to adapt to the rhythms of different cultures. Visitors tend to bring picnics and spend the day enjoying the atmosphere among the flowers, lakes and woodlands of the botanical gardens. Remember though, it's a popular event so aim to get here early!
Take a look at the website here for more information and the programme details.
St. Siméon is a lovely collection of traditional holiday properties within easy reach of Paris. At approximately an hour away they are in a quiet, peaceful area just a drive from the bustling capital city. Find out how to stay here by following the link.
