Albenga Jazz Festival
Four days of concerts, traveling events, meetings and great protagonists of the jazz scene
For thirteen years, the Albenga Jazz Festival has brought great jazz music to the squares and cloisters of Albenga's historic center. Four days of concerts unfold, from mornings in the Mondadori bookshop to afternoons in Piazza San Domenico and the Ester Siccardi Cloisters, and culminating in evenings in the evocative Piazza San Michele, at the foot of the cathedral.
A late-August event that combines music, culture, and tradition in the city of towers on the Riviera di Ponente.
The 14th edition of the event will take place from 23rd to 26th August
Albenga is preparing to host the 14th edition of the Albenga Jazz Festival , one of the most anticipated events of the Albenga cultural summer, organized by the Le Rapalline in Jazz APS association with the involvement of numerous local organizations.
From August 23rd to 26th , the historic center of Albenga will once again be transformed into a large open-air stage, with concerts, itinerant music, meetings and initiatives that will accompany citizens and visitors in discovering jazz in some of the city's most evocative settings.
A festival that over the years has consolidated its role in the local cultural landscape thanks to its ability to combine artistic quality, valorization of historical heritage, and public involvement .
The 2026 edition will be particularly significant. The Festival will be dedicated to the memory of Massimo Bianchi , a key figure in the association and in the promotion of jazz culture in Albenga.
Barbara Locci, president of Le Rapalline in Jazz APS, recalls how Bianchi was a true pillar of the association and how his Nipper Club became, over the years, one of the symbolic places of passion for music in Albenga.
“It's hard for all of us now to imagine the Association without his presence, the Jazz Festival without him,” says Locci, explaining that the association's projects, starting with this fourteenth edition, were conceived precisely in Massimo's memory.
Open brochure 2026
A program featuring big names and young talents
The program places particular emphasis on the quality and variety of its offerings.
The main program will open on Sunday, August 23rd at 5:30 pm in Piazza San Domenico with the Giuseppe Verdi Band of Albenga , a now a regular fixture at the Festival, featuring two internationally renowned Italian soloists: Claudio Capurro on saxophone and Cesare Mecca on trumpet . This choice confirms the association's desire to make the Festival a platform for showcasing the important cultural heritage of the Ingauno region.
On August 24th , there will be the presentation of the book “My Miles” by Umberto Germinale , at 11am at the Mondadori bookshop, and in the afternoon, at 6pm at the Chiostri Ester Siccardi, there will be a swing atmosphere with Swing Patch and Yurierre , in an event dedicated to Lindy Hop and couple dancing.
The Rapalline Jazz Band will perform on August 24th at 9:30 PM in Piazza San Michele , featuring guest soloist Gabriele Mirabassi . The youth orchestra project, composed of musicians under thirty, is particularly significant. Its aim is to offer young people the formative experience of a true jazz big band.
On August 25th , the focus will be on the meeting of different musical cultures with the Bellato, Saracino, Sadibou Trio , at 6 pm in Piazza San Domenico, between blues and African music.
At 9.30pm the Jesse Davis Quartet will arrive in Piazza San Michele , with Jesse Davis on saxophone, Andrea Pozza on piano, Aldo Zunino on double bass and Matteo Rebulla on drums.
August 26th will also be dedicated to meetings and the intersection of languages: at 11 a.m. at the Mondadori Bookshop, the presentation of the books "Kurt Weill. Jazz Song, from Berlin to Broadway" and "The Seven Deadly Sins in Jazz" by Renata Ghiso; at 6 p.m., a new touring performance by Nola French Quarter , culminating in Piazza del Popolo.
Closing the event, at 9:30 pm in Piazza San Michele , will be The Essence , featuring Flavio Boltro on trumpet, Tommaso Perazzo on piano, Riccardo Barbera on double bass, and Rodolfo Cervetto on drums . This musical project intertwines jazz, improvisation, African-American influences, ethnic and folk music, and even a touch of free jazz.
Completing the program, from August 24th to 26th , are the traveling concerts of Nola French Quarter , designed to bring music directly to the streets and spaces of the city.
All events are free to attend.