Jazz&TheCity sounds: the free festival that turns the Salzburg Altstadt into a stage

Jazz&TheCity sounds is a music festival for jazz, global groove and electronic music in the Salzburg Altstadt, from 15 to 18 October 2026, with a Pre Opening on Wednesday 14 October. Entry is free for all program points, and everywhere the rule is first come, first served. The motto this year is "true moments", and the idea is simple: real music, played live, in the middle of the old town.

The program is spread over many venues, from the open air stage on the Residenzplatz and the SZENE to the Kollegienkirche, the DomQuartier, the Jazzit and the artHotel Blaue Gans. New or newly used this year are the Solitär of the Universität Mozarteum and the Stieglkeller. Here is how we would plan the weekend.

Start with the Pre Opening, Wednesday 14 October

The festival begins a day early, with the Altstadt's bars and cafés turned into music stages. Libertango play at the Bankhammer Metzgersteig at 17.00, Stootsie & The Boys at the Amadeus Salzach Insel Bar at 19.00, Django Partie at the Sketch Bar in the Hotel Bristol at 20.00, Adi Jüstel Latin Swing Express at the StageBar at 20.00 and Gspusi at the Bricks Music Bar at 21.00. It is a relaxed way to get into the festival mood.

Opening night, Thursday 15 October

The festival opens at 19.00 with Lylit at the SZENE, an award winning singer songwriter whose new music is built around voice, string quartet and piano. At 20.00 Sophie Abraham plays in the Kollegienkirche, presenting her new album "The beauty in between", and at 22.00 the radio.string.quartet follows in the same venue. Kollektiv Tanzbar plays a DJ set at the SZENE from 22.30.

Friday 16 October

In the afternoon, Hidden Track takes you on a walk to an unknown place in the Altstadt. You are picked up at the meeting point without knowing where you are going. Friday's walks start at the Makartplatz at 15.00 and at the Kapitelplatz fountain at 17.00.

The evening is busy. Les Frères Smith bring Afrobeat to the Residenzplatz at 18.45, and Yemen Blues play there at 20.30. Purple is the Color play contemporary and modern jazz at the Jazzit at 20.00. In the DomQuartier you can hear Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet at 19.30 and the Andy Sheppard Trio at 21.30. At 22.00 daoud plays the SZENE, in the series The Soul of Jazz (jazz, hip hop and R&B).

Saturday 17 October

Saturday starts at 11.00 with the Mozarteum Marching Band, which meets at the Makartplatz. At 16.00 the Walk of Modern Art with Andreas Gfrerer starts at the artHotel Blaue Gans.

In the evening, Addict Ameba play Afrobeat and Ethio Jazz on the Residenzplatz at 18.30, presented by Eleven Empire. Bab L' Bluz bring gnawa and psychedelic rock to the SZENE at 21.00. At 21.15 Jozef van Wissem plays the Kollegienkirche, also presented by Eleven Empire, in the String Break series. The press release describes his music as meditative and intense, forward looking but with a touch of mystery. The night ends with Crystn Hunt Akron at 23.00 in the Kollegienkirche, with her danceable art performance Plasticphonia.

Sunday 18 October, the finale

On Sunday you can brunch to jazz: Blue Moss play at the arte Hotel at 11.30 (reservation requested). At 13.30 Heinali & Andriana Yaroslava Saienko, presented by Eleven Empire, bring electronic, ambient and drone sounds to the Kollegienkirche. Adi Jüstel & The Original Salzburg Swing Orchestra play jazz and swing at the Stieglkeller. The last concert of the festival is Ernst Molden und die Neuen Wiener Concert Schrammeln at 14.30 in the DomQuartier, with Viennese song and blues.

For kids and families

Jazz&TheCity sounds has its own program for kids. Every afternoon at 15.30, the Spielzeug Museum runs a Kreativwerkstatt where kids build musical instruments and then try them out in a jam session together. It is for kids from 5 years, and the instrument changes every day: rattles on Wednesday 14 October, spin drums on Thursday 15, mini banjos on Friday 16 and rainmakers on Saturday 17.

On Sunday 18 October at 12.30 there is a Hip Hop workshop for kids and teens on the Residenzplatz as part of Bewegte Stadt. At 13.45 the same series offers a Latin workshop for everyone, with salsa, bachata and reggaeton.

Good to know

Entry is free everywhere, and the program can change. The full program and updates are on salzburgjazz.com and in the free app Events Altstadt Salzburg.