The Traveller's Magazine
The Parc Floral de Paris has received the honour this year of hosting musicians from around the world. The musical season opens June 11th and runs all the way until September. What’s this year’s theme? Tunes from the New World, homage to America!
As if you need another excuse to visit the undeniably cultural city of Paris. You can visit Paris any time of the year but the Jazz Festival only happens once. The event opens in June with concerts that will fuse music and nature all the way until the end of July. It’s the perfect excuse to enjoy the playful tunes while lying in the cool grass of a beautiful city park.
8 weekends, 16 days, 31 concerts…
Every aspect of jazz will be represented at some point during the festival so you can bet there will be something for everyone whether you like your jazz latin, bluesy, funky, soulful, played out on a piano or packed full of horns. Apart from the main stage, there will also be the Garden of Sounds where visitors can enjoy smaller and more intimate concerts, participate in workshops, get involved by learning some musical games (great for kids!) and learning about the history and intricacies of jazz. These will all take place between the Butterfly Pavilion and Le Bosquet.
The festival is all about bringing global talent together with Paris’ own jazz stars. This year’s line-up will feature artists from around the globe including Omar Sosa from Cuba, Ballaké Sissoko from Mali, Trilok Gurtu from India and Youn Sun Nah all the way from Korea.
Practical info
How to get there: The great thing about Paris is that it’s super accessible from anywhere in the UK. Head across via the Channel Tunnel or take the easy way out and grab a low cost flight from London. Take off in July for £93 with EasyJet or for £109 with British Airways.
Location: Enter the festival from Esplanade Saint Louis (metro: Château de Vincennes).
Admission: Adults €5 / Youth (7-25) €2.50 / Children under the age of 7 are free.
What’s free? Concerts held at 3pm and 4:30pm every Saturday and Sunday are free expect for the performance on June 26th at 3:30pm.
More info: Check out parisjazzfestival.fr
Anyone interested in Jazz may be interested in visiting the Cork Jazz Festival which is held in Cork Ireland every year. This is its 35th year. See more about it at http://www.stayincork.com/blog/?p=4
Will check it out, thanks Oisha! Are you on Twitter?