From 18 to 20 September, the Rhodes Jazz Festival returns for its 11th edition, bringing 21 artists from Greece and across Europe to Rhodes. For three evenings, the Church of Our Lady of the Burgh in the Medieval City will host a programme ranging from experimental and modal jazz to musical influences from the Balkans, Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Three evenings of jazz at the Church of Our Lady of the Burgh
The concert programme of the 11th Rhodes Jazz Festival will take place from 18 to 20 September at the Church of Our Lady of the Burgh, one of the most distinctive historic sites in the Medieval City of Rhodes.
This year's festival brings together 21 artists from Athens, Lisbon, London, Madrid and Rotterdam.
Vialia Calda, Harris Lambrakis Quartet, Seeds, Spyros Manesis Trio, Yiorgos Bereris Quartet and Adam Ben Ezra Duo will take to the stage, presenting different approaches to contemporary jazz.
The programme combines experimental and modal jazz, melodies influenced by the jazz of the 1960s, and elements drawn from Balkan music and the traditional music of Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean. It will also feature original compositions and first presentations of new recordings.
The choice of the Church of Our Lady of the Burgh gives the concerts a distinctive setting. For three evenings, the ruins of the Gothic church in the heart of the Medieval City will become an open-air music venue, bringing the festival's contemporary programme into one of Rhodes' most atmospheric historic settings.
Parallel events begin on 13 September
The festival programme effectively begins a few days earlier. On 13 September, a photography exhibition by Thrasos Eirinis will open as the inaugural event of this year's festival.
The exhibition will be hosted at the English Auberge, also in the Medieval City, and will remain open to the public until 20 September.
The Rhodes Jazz Festival also continues its collaboration with artists who have a special connection to Rhodes. Each year, an artwork is selected to form the visual identity and official poster of the festival. For the 11th edition, a work by Damon Papakyriakou has been chosen.
A festival closely connected to the Medieval City
After eleven editions, the Rhodes Jazz Festival has established a regular place on the island's cultural calendar. Its use of historic venues within the Medieval City makes it appealing not only to jazz audiences but also to visitors travelling to Rhodes in September who would like to combine a visit to the Old Town with a cultural event.
The Rhodes Jazz Festival is organised by Arte Con Anima and is held under the auspices and with the financial support of the Greek Ministry of Culture, under the auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organisation, and in collaboration with the South Aegean Region and the Municipality of Rhodes, with the support of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Dodecanese.
For the full concert schedule, performance times and details about the participating artists, visit the official Rhodes Jazz Festival website and view the 2026 festival programme or join their Facebook page.
