September 2025

Detroit Jazz Festival (Detroit, USA) — Aug 29–Sept 1, 2025
The world’s largest free jazz festival closes out summer and rolls into September across Hart Plaza, Campus Martius, and Midtown. Expect four stages, international headliners, and an intense educational showcase—Detroit does Labor Day right. The official schedule confirms the 2025 dates (with Monday, Sept 1 programming), plus artist-in-residence sets and marquee names. (detroitjazzfest.org)

Tokyo Blue Note Jazz Festival (Tokyo, Japan) — Sept 13–14, 2025
Blue Note Tokyo’s annual outdoor edition returns to Odaiba with a compact, premium lineup and an emphasis on pristine production values. If you want two concentrated days of A-list jazz in a world-class city, this fits the bill. (Guinness Cork Jazz)

Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey, USA) — Sept 26–28, 2025
Held on the Monterey County Fairgrounds, MJF is a bucket-list pilgrimage with multiple outdoor stages, club-like indoor sets, and a history that stretches back to 1958. The festival confirms its 2025 weekend at the end of September. (Tokyo Cheapo)

 

October 2025

Nancy Jazz Pulsations (Nancy, France) — Oct 4–18, 2025
A broad-minded, city-wide festival that puts jazz alongside global grooves and adventurous pop. The official site’s date banner and program hub are live for 2025—use them to plot your gig-hopping. (nancyjazzpulsations.com)

Enjoy Jazz (Heidelberg / Mannheim / Ludwigshafen, Germany) — Oct 2–Nov 15, 2025
One of Europe’s longest autumn jazz festivals, Enjoy Jazz sprawls across six weeks with marquee concerts, special commissions, and left-field pairings in beautiful concert halls and intimate spaces. The 2025 dates are posted by the festival. (Monterey Jazz)

Earshot Jazz Festival (Seattle, USA) — Oct 10–Nov 2, 2025
Seattle’s festival foregrounds premieres, scene leaders and international guests across dozens of venues. The 2025 edition (its 37th) is officially scheduled Oct 10–Nov 2, with a lineup that blends heavyweights and Northwest innovators. (Earshot Jazz)

Stockholm Jazz Festival (Stockholm, Sweden) — Oct 10–19, 2025
A city-saturating week of concerts from storied halls to intimate clubs. Stockholm Jazz has confirmed its 2025 dates; expect a tasteful mix of Scandinavian stars and global names. (Buenos Aires Secreta)

Leipziger Jazztage (Leipzig, Germany) — Oct 11–18, 2025
The 49th edition, themed “Mapping Music,” brings top ensembles and boundary-pushing projects to stages throughout Leipzig; presale and first confirmations are up. (Jazzclub Leipzig e.V.)

Voll-Damm Barcelona International Jazz Festival (Barcelona, Spain) — Oct 10–Dec 16, 2025
A sprawling, beautifully curated program across Barcelona’s best venues—Palau de la Música, L’Auditori, clubs and theaters. The promoter’s official page lists the 2025 run from early October to mid-December. (nhkso.or.jp)

November 2025

Jazzfest Berlin (Berlin, Germany) — Nov 6–9, 2025
Presented by Berliner Festspiele, this is one of Europe’s essential festivals for contemporary jazz, known for thoughtful curation and adventurous collaborations across concert halls and experimental spaces. The 2025 dates are set for Nov 6–9. (Songkick)

EFG London Jazz Festival (London, UK) — Nov 14–23, 2025
Ten days, 60+ venues, and a who ’s-who slate of global and UK talent from the Barbican and Southbank Centre to intimate rooms. The festival’s official site confirms Nov 14–23; expect everything from orchestral projects to late-night club burners. (festivalfinder.eu)

Guimarães Jazz (Guimarães, Portugal) — Nov 6–15, 2025
Portugal’s acclaimed fall festival turns 34 with concerts, workshops and late-night jams centered at Centro Cultural Vila Flor. The official site lists the dates and first program items (including Immanuel Wilkins, Fred Hersch, Mark Turner, and more). (guimaraesjazz.pt, Bilheteira FNAC)

Tampere Jazz Happening (Tampere, Finland) — Oct 30–Nov 2, 2025
A compact, high-caliber weekend known for adventurous bookings (and excellent acoustics) in venues like Pakkahuone. Dates for 2025 appear on the city’s event calendar. (Songkick)

Jazztopad (Wrocław, Poland) — Nov 14–23, 2025
A discovery-forward festival that commissions new works and spotlights the European scene. The National Forum of Music’s 2025 page places it squarely in mid–late November. (Enjoy Jazz)

Leverkusener Jazztage (Leverkusen/Cologne region, Germany) — Nov 5–23, 2025
A veteran German festival mixing jazz, soul, fusion and crossover sets in Forum Leverkusen and partner venues. The 2025 program has rolling announcements and event pages through late November. (Leverkusener Jazztage, Frontstage Festivals)

JAZZMADRID – Madrid International Jazz Festival (Madrid, Spain) — November 2025
Madrid’s month-long city festival typically fills November with concerts in theaters, cultural centers and clubs. The city’s sponsorship brief confirms the 2025 edition and November timing (program drops closer to the dates). (jazzalavillette.com)

Exit Zero Jazz Festival (Cape May, USA) — Nov 7–9, 2025
A seaside fall escape with headliners in Convention Hall at night and lively club-style sets around town by day. The festival’s official site is live with the November 7–9, 2025 dates (and lineup teasers). (Exit Zero Jazz Festival)

Buenos Aires International Jazz Festival (Buenos Aires, Argentina) — November 2025 (dates TBA)
Buenos Aires’ city-run jazz fest lands annually in November across multiple venues and neighborhood hubs; expect final dates and program announcements later in the year. (buenosairesjazz.org, Buenos Aires Secreta)

 

December 2025

Umbria Jazz Winter (Orvieto, Italy) — Dec 27, 2025–Jan 1, 2026
The jewel of the holiday season: six days of music in the hilltop city of Orvieto, from midday church sets to midnight jam sessions, plus New Year’s festivities. The official festival listing confirms Dec 27–Jan 1 for the 2025/26 edition. (bluenotejazzfestival.jp)

Barcelona International Jazz Festival (Barcelona, Spain) — through Dec 16, 2025
Barcelona’s program runs deep into December, making it a great option for early-winter gigging under modernist skylines. (nhkso.or.jp)

 

How to choose (and plan) your fall/winter jazz run

Pick your vibe. If you want massive and free, start in Detroit (it ends on Sept 1, but it still counts for September). For deep-dive city marathons, London, Seattle (Earshot), Stockholm, Madrid and Berlin each deliver a dense spread of shows across many rooms. If you prefer destination charm with a tight footprint, Monterey (late September), Exit Zero (cozy coastal November), Guimarães (walkable historic center) and Umbria Jazz Winter (holiday magic in Orvieto) are ideal. (detroitjazzfest.org, Earshot Jazz, festivalfinder.eu, Buenos Aires Secreta, jazzalavillette.com, Songkick, Tokyo Cheapo, Exit Zero Jazz Festival, guimaraesjazz.pt, bluenotejazzfestival.jp)

 

Book ahead—especially weekends and headliners. London’s Barbican/Southbank anchors, Berlin’s Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Barcelona’s Palau de la Música and Seattle’s Town Hall sell quickly. Grab seats when the festival portals open and build out the rest around your anchors. (festivalfinder.eu, Songkick, nhkso.or.jp, Earshot Jazz)

 

Mind the weather and venues. October–November in Northern Europe can be chilly and damp; pack layers and enjoy the indoor acoustics. Coastal fall festivals like Exit Zero can be breezy but pleasant; Umbria Jazz Winter is properly wintry—perfect for long lunches between sets. (Dates for Exit Zero and Umbria are locked; book lodging early.) (Exit Zero Jazz Festival, bluenotejazzfestival.jp)

 

String a route together. A classic November swing could be Berlin (Nov 6–9) → Guimarães (Nov 6–15; overlap the tail end) → London (Nov 14–23) → Leverkusen (Nov 5–23, pick a night). If you prefer October marathons: Nancy (Oct 4–18) → Leipzig (Oct 11–18) → Stockholm (Oct 10–19), with Enjoy Jazz running in the background (Oct 2–Nov 15) to fill gaps. (Songkick, guimaraesjazz.pt, festivalfinder.eu, Frontstage Festivals, nancyjazzpulsations.com, Jazzclub Leipzig e.V., Buenos Aires Secreta, Monterey Jazz)

 

Budget smarter. Free options: Detroit is entirely free; London and Berlin include free/community programming, but most headline events are ticketed. City tourism pages and festival partners (public broadcasters, cultural institutes) often list discounted passes and student deals. (detroitjazzfest.org, festivalfinder.eu, Songkick)

 

Quick month-by-month snapshot

• September: Detroit (Aug 29–Sept 1), Tokyo Blue Note (Sept 13–14), Monterey (Sept 26–28). (detroitjazzfest.org, Guinness Cork Jazz, Tokyo Cheapo)
• October: Nancy (Oct 4–18), Enjoy Jazz (Oct 2–Nov 15), Earshot Seattle (Oct 10–Nov 2), Stockholm (Oct 10–19), Leipzig (Oct 11–18), Barcelona (Oct 10–Dec 16). (nancyjazzpulsations.com, Monterey Jazz, Earshot Jazz, Buenos Aires Secreta, Jazzclub Leipzig e.V., nhkso.or.jp)
• November: Berlin (Nov 6–9), London (Nov 14–23), Guimarães (Nov 6–15), Tampere (Oct 30–Nov 2), Jazztopad Wrocław (Nov 14–23), Leverkusener Jazztage (Nov 5–23), Exit Zero (Nov 7–9), JAZZMADRID (all November, dates TBA), Buenos Aires (November, dates TBA). (Songkick, festivalfinder.eu, guimaraesjazz.pt, Enjoy Jazz, Frontstage Festivals, Exit Zero Jazz Festival, jazzalavillette.com, buenosairesjazz.org)
• December: Umbria Jazz Winter (Dec 27–Jan 1), with Barcelona running until Dec 16. (bluenotejazzfestival.jp, nhkso.or.jp)

 

Final tips

• Anchor + improvise: Lock two or three must-see ticketed shows, then leave space to discover late-announced club sets, workshops and free foyer concerts. (London, Berlin and Seattle especially reward spontaneity.) (festivalfinder.eu, Songkick, Earshot Jazz)
• Watch official channels: Lineups expand in waves. For November heavyweights like EFG London Jazz Festival and Jazzfest Berlin, keep an eye on the festival sites and venue partners (Barbican, Southbank Centre, Berliner Festspiele). (festivalfinder.eu, Songkick)
• Make it a winter treat: If holiday travel appeals, wrap the year in Orvieto at Umbria Jazz Winter, then hop to Rome or Florence for New Year’s week. (bluenotejazzfestival.jp)

 

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