Lucca Jazz Donna Festival 2027, Italy

What to expect in 2027

Lucca Jazz Donna Festival 2027 is expected to continue its long-running celebration of women in jazz, bringing together established musicians, emerging artists, vocalists, instrumentalists, composers and arrangers in Lucca and the surrounding area.

Organised by Circolo Lucca Jazz, the festival was created to highlight women’s contribution to jazz and has developed into one of Italy’s established events dedicated specifically to female jazz talent. The programme combines jazz with world music, contemporary sounds, Brazilian influences, singer-songwriter traditions, vocal experimentation and other related styles.

The festival normally combines its main Lucca programme with preview performances in Capannori and a special closing concert in the historic Church of San Francesco. The main programme has traditionally included multiple artists during each evening, creating a compact showcase of different approaches to contemporary jazz.

The 2027 artist programme has not yet been announced. Visitors can expect the festival to maintain its emphasis on women-led projects, original compositions, emerging talent and collaborations between musicians from different generations.

Event dates

2027 festival period

May to September 2027 (Dates TBD)

The exact 2027 dates have not yet been announced.

The festival traditionally spreads its programme across the warmer months, with preview concerts, several main festival evenings and a concluding performance. The programme may therefore include activities in both Lucca and nearby Capannori rather than operating as a single continuous festival weekend.

Visiting this event? Don’t miss out on these amazing activities and local experiences while you’re here.

Venue & festival site

Real Collegio

The Chiostro di Santa Caterina at the Real Collegio is the principal setting for the main Lucca programme. Its historic cloister provides an atmospheric open-air environment for the evening concerts.

Recent programmes have presented the majority of the main festival sets here, with multiple artists appearing during each evening.

Chiesa di San Francesco

The Church of San Francesco provides the setting for the festival’s major closing concert. Its historic interior allows the festival to present a larger featured performance in a different acoustic and architectural environment.

Teatro Artè, Capannori

Preview concerts have also been presented at Teatro Artè in Capannori, extending the festival beyond Lucca’s historic centre and introducing additional artists before the principal programme begins.

Full lineup

2027 lineup

The complete 2027 lineup has not yet been announced.

The latest published programme featured a broad selection of women-led jazz and crossover projects, including:

• Il Quinto Elemento
• Silvia Benesperi
• Michela Lombardi
• Elisa Mini
• Paola Rovai
• Stefania Scarinzi
• Nico Gori
• Eugenia Canale
• Roberta Brighi
• Patrizio Balzarini
• Achille Succi
• Paola Bivona
• Matteo Quiriconi
• Alessio Bianchi
• Nino Pellegrini
• Piero Borsò
• Francesca Galdi
• Franco Mariani
• Fabio Castronuovo
• Tiziana Nauaui
• Manuela Pasqui
• Gigi Lamberti
• Marco Landriani
• Giulia Vazzoler
• Martina Lupi
• Manuel Petti
• Mattia Lotini
• Lucia Filaci
• Vittorio Cuculo
• Giuseppe Sacchi
• Giordano Panizza
• Gianmarco De Nisi
• Maria Laura Baccarini
• Emiliano Begni
• Felice Zaccheo
• Donato Cedrone
• Francois Mervolle
• Katia Karen Piacentini
• Sofia Ricciardi

These artists represent the festival’s characteristic combination of vocal ensembles, jazz quintets, contemporary projects, instrumental groups and collaborations.

Headliners & featured artists

Featured women in jazz

Lucca Jazz Donna places women musicians at the centre of the programme rather than treating female performers as a separate category within a general jazz festival. The programme highlights singers, pianists, saxophonists, trumpeters, composers, arrangers and instrumentalists.

Maria Laura Baccarini

Maria Laura Baccarini has appeared as a featured vocalist in a project combining the repertoire of Giorgio Gaber and Fabrizio De André with jazz-oriented arrangements and an ensemble featuring piano, accordion, strings, cello and percussion.

Michela Lombardi

Michela Lombardi has been repeatedly associated with the festival and appeared in several vocal projects, including collaborations exploring contemporary jazz and vocal harmony.

Emerging artists

A major part of the festival’s identity is the discovery of new female talent. Previous editions have included young performers, emerging bands and musicians from conservatories and music schools alongside established professionals.

Stages & performance areas

Real Collegio – Chiostro di Santa Caterina

This is the principal festival performance area. The cloister provides an intimate environment for multiple concerts during the main programme.

Chiesa di San Francesco

The historic church is used for the major closing performance and allows the festival to present a larger featured artist in a distinctive architectural setting.

Teatro Artè

The Capannori theatre is used for preview performances and special programme events, creating an additional indoor concert environment.

Other cultural spaces

Depending on the edition, Lucca Jazz Donna may also use other locations for workshops, artist meetings, educational activities, exhibitions and special events.

Stage-by-stage schedule

Main festival programme

The festival does not operate like a large commercial jazz festival with multiple simultaneous stages. Instead, individual evenings generally take place at one principal venue with several consecutive performances.

A typical main evening can include:

• Opening performance by an emerging artist
• First featured jazz project
• Second or third concert by an established musician or ensemble
• Short introductions between performances
• Community or charity presentation
• Featured closing set

The latest programme used multiple performances within the same evening, with the Real Collegio hosting several consecutive sets.

Set times

Evening concerts

The main festival concerts traditionally begin in the evening, with recent programmes using a 9:15 PM start for the principal Real Collegio performances.

Exact 2027 set times have not yet been announced.

Because several artists can perform during one evening, visitors should allow sufficient time for the complete programme rather than planning around a single short set.

Ticket types

General admission

Lucca Jazz Donna is primarily a free-admission festival. The latest published programme states that the main Real Collegio concerts are free and open to the public.

Reserved admission

Selected concerts, particularly those held in San Francesco, may use free reservations because seating capacity is limited.

Preview concerts

The Capannori preview programme has also been presented with free admission.

Pricing

No paid ticket pricing is required for the standard festival programme in the latest published edition, so there is no previous euro price to convert to USD.

VIP & premium options

Premium seating

The festival does not normally operate with conventional VIP packages, backstage passes or premium ticket tiers.

Its format is centred on free public access and cultural participation rather than exclusive hospitality.

Special access

For concerts requiring reservations, the principal advantage is securing a place at a limited-capacity performance. Visitors should check the official programme for the reservation procedure once the 2027 schedule is released.

Event rules

Free admission

Free admission does not necessarily mean that every venue has unlimited capacity. Selected performances may require advance reservation or complimentary tickets.

Venue capacity

Historic cloisters and churches have limited seating, so visitors should follow the festival’s instructions regarding reservations and arrival.

Respect for performances

Visitors should follow normal concert etiquette, including keeping mobile phones silent during performances and respecting musicians, other audience members and venue staff.

Photography and recording

Photography and recording conditions can vary by artist and venue. Visitors should follow any restrictions communicated by organisers before or during the performance.

How to get there

By car

Lucca is connected by road with Pisa, Florence, Viareggio and other Tuscan destinations. Drivers heading to the main festival venues should plan around the restricted-traffic areas surrounding the historic centre.

The Real Collegio and San Francesco are located within the historic city area, where walking from an appropriate parking location is often more convenient than attempting to drive directly to the venue.

By train

Lucca railway station provides convenient connections with Pisa, Florence and other Tuscan destinations. From the station, visitors can walk into the historic centre and reach many festival venues on foot.

By air

Pisa International Airport is the most convenient airport for many international visitors. From Pisa, Lucca can be reached by train, bus, taxi or rental car.

Public transport & parking

Public transport

Local buses connect Lucca with surrounding areas, while regional trains provide convenient connections to other Tuscan cities.

For the main festival venues, walking is often the simplest option once visitors reach Lucca’s historic centre.

Parking

Visitors arriving by car should use designated parking areas outside or around the historic centre and continue towards the venues on foot.

Traffic restrictions can affect access to central Lucca, particularly around historic buildings and pedestrian areas. Visitors should check the latest local traffic information before driving into the city.

Accommodation areas

Lucca historic centre

Staying within the historic walls is the most convenient option for visitors attending several festival concerts. Many restaurants, cafés, museums and cultural attractions are also within walking distance.

Lucca railway station area

The area surrounding the station provides practical accommodation for visitors travelling by train while remaining close to the historic centre.

Outside the walls

Hotels, guesthouses and holiday apartments outside the historic centre can provide easier parking and larger accommodation options.

Capannori

Visitors attending the preview programme can also stay in Capannori or nearby areas, particularly if they plan to combine the festival with visits around the Lucca countryside.

Food & drink

Restaurants in Lucca

The historic centre has numerous restaurants, cafés, wine bars and traditional Tuscan establishments, allowing visitors to have dinner before or after an evening performance.

Tuscan cuisine

Visitors can sample regional dishes including fresh pasta, soups, cured meats, cheeses, seasonal vegetables, traditional breads and Tuscan wines.

Cafés and aperitivo

Lucca’s central streets and piazzas provide many options for coffee, aperitivo and light meals between festival activities.

Because the main concerts generally take place in the evening, visitors can easily combine a meal in the historic centre with an evening performance.

Accessibility

Historic venues

Accessibility varies between festival locations because the programme uses historic cloisters, churches, theatres and other cultural buildings.

The Real Collegio and Chiesa di San Francesco may have different entrance and seating arrangements from modern venues.

Accessibility planning

Visitors with mobility requirements should contact the organisers or individual venue before attending to confirm accessible entrances, seating and assistance.

Because the festival is spread across multiple locations, accessibility should be checked for each specific concert rather than assumed to be identical throughout the programme.

Best days to attend

For major featured performances

Choose the evening featuring the principal guest artist or closing performance once the 2027 programme is announced.

For vocal jazz

Look for programmes built around vocal ensembles, singers and projects exploring harmony. The festival regularly gives substantial attention to female vocalists and vocal experimentation.

For contemporary jazz

The main programme includes original projects by composers and bandleaders working across modern European jazz, contemporary composition and improvisation.

For emerging musicians

Opening sets and younger ensembles can provide an opportunity to discover musicians at an earlier stage of their careers.

For the complete experience

Visitors staying for several programme evenings can experience the festival’s different musical approaches, venues and community projects rather than focusing on one concert.

Previous year’s highlights

Vocal jazz

The latest published programme placed vocal music at the centre of several performances. Il Quinto Elemento presented an a cappella vocal project, while Heartsongs combined multiple voices with piano and trumpet.

Contemporary projects

Arabesque connected jazz with material ranging from Turandot to Chiquinha Gonzaga, while La Reina Nawawi Sepharad explored Sephardic musical traditions through a jazz ensemble.

Gaber and De André project

Dialoghi Immaginari brought Maria Laura Baccarini together with instrumentalists for a project focused on the music and words of Giorgio Gaber and Fabrizio De André.

Capannori previews

The preview programme in Capannori introduced additional artists and projects before the main Lucca programme, including vocal performances and jazz ensembles.

Women-focused musical programme

Across its recent editions, Lucca Jazz Donna has continued to combine established artists with emerging musicians, reflecting its central mission of supporting and presenting women in jazz as singers, instrumentalists, composers and arrangers.

Official tickets

Official festival information

The official Lucca Jazz Donna website provides the latest programme announcements, artist information, venue details, reservation instructions and updates for individual concerts.

Official website: https://www.luccajazzdonna.it/

For 2027, visitors should check the official website once the programme is released because reservation requirements and venue arrangements can vary between performances.

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