The Paris Jazz Festival 2017

When? June 17-July 31 2017 
What? Free live jazz concerts in a Paris park.
Where? Parc Floral de Vincennes.

The Paris Jazz Festival is one of the favourite summer destinations for overheated Parisians. From mid-June until the end of July, two jazz groups play every Saturday and Sunday in the big open hall of the Parc Floral de Vincennes. The free festival (you only pay entry to the park) makes for a brilliant summer outing: everyone brings picnics and enjoys them in the sunshine amid coloured flowers, woodlands and lakes, while listening to some virtuoso jazz – it’s also hugely popular, so get here early.

This year, there’s a weekend for Latin Jazz, an acoustic jazz Saturday, and a ‘Circus Jazz’ day. For fans of fusion and experimentation, head to the weekends that focus on funk & soul, jazz and chanson, or the ‘hybrid’ weekend, which mixes jazz, hip-hop, funk and African music.

For details of this year’s edition, click here.

Recommended: The best jazz clubs and bars in Paris.