5 classical and jazz festivals guaranteed to give you a great time

Coachella, Lollapalooza, Glastonbury – there’s a chance you’ve heard of these festivals. These are the festivals that some of the biggest artists in the world grace with their presence, offering fun and excitement to the thousands of people watching. It’s always a fun time to see the different acts that happen at these events, especially if you’re a fan of such music.

But if you’re in the mood for new music, these festivals on the list might pique your interest enough to check out. These five are about classical music and jazz music, which may not seem interesting at first glance, but they are absolutely worth your time. They’re just as fun and exciting as regular pop music festivals, and who knows, you might even become a fan after attending them.

1. Prague Spring International Music Festival

If you want to explore the height of classical music, then this is definitely the place to be. As this is one of the most famous festivals of its kind in the world, you will have no shortage of classical music from its various venues across the city. By the end of the three weeks, from the ceremony in honor of the Czech Republic’s greatest composer to the finale of one of Antonin Dvorak’s works, you will be well acquainted with the world of classical music and begging for more of it.

2. Bayreuth Wagner Festival

If exploring the vast expanse of classical music might be too daunting a task, you might like this German festival that focuses on just one. But don’t worry—Richard Wagner’s operas have just as much depth and variety to witness, and you’ll experience them in an opera house designed to the late composer’s specifications. But it’s best to make your reservations as early as now; the site only holds 1,925 people, and there’s a good reason it’s always sold out.

3. Monterey Jazz Festival

If you know nothing about jazz, why not travel to one of the oldest jazz festivals in the world? Located on the Northern California coast, the Monterey Fairgrounds is home to a jazz festival blessed with titans like Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday in its early days, allowing its superstar musicians to walk the floor and collaborate with other musicians. There is a ‘California’ energy to the whole event, with the infectious spirit of this ‘jazz heaven’ is a great place to start learning about jazz.

4. St Lucia Jazz

As one of the top five jazz festivals in the world, this festival will definitely encourage you to visit the Caribbean during the first two weeks of May. You will be able to hear all types, variations and fusions of the genre on display here, while experiencing the amazing natural beauty of the country. St. Lucia has never sounded better, infusing its own local twist on the borrowed art form and giving you even more reason to start loving jazz.

5. Montreux International Jazz Festival

Although the festival has since begun to incorporate elements of world music and Brazilian music, the jazz music and energy here remains quite alive. You would never expect a city between a lake and the mountains of Switzerland to attract 200,000 people a year, and yet it does. The musicians here don’t do this for the money, but you wouldn’t know it from the openness and respect you can feel from the world’s greatest musicians when they ask you to jam out with them.

Classical and jazz music may not be among the most popular forms of music in the world anymore, but they remain solid and incredibly fun styles of music that deserve to be listened to, and these five amazing events prove it.

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