Sicilia Jazz Festival 2027, Palermo, Italy

What to expect in 2027

Sicilia Jazz Festival 2027 will return to Palermo as a major jazz event centred on the Orchestra Jazz Siciliana and The Brass Group. The festival combines large-scale orchestral productions with jazz concerts, emerging musicians, conservatory ensembles, international artists, crossover performances and special projects across historic locations in Palermo and Sicily.

The festival is distinctive because of its strong focus on orchestral jazz production. Its programme traditionally combines internationally recognised artists with the Orchestra Jazz Siciliana, while also giving space to musicians from Sicily’s conservatories and younger generations.

The Palermo programme is built around the Jazz Village, major productions and concerts at venues including Teatro di Verdura, Palazzo Steri, Real Teatro Santa Cecilia, Chiesa di Santa Maria dello Spasimo and Orto Botanico. The wider Sicilia Jazz On Tour programme extends performances into other Sicilian towns and cultural locations.

The 2027 artist programme has not yet been officially announced. Visitors can expect a combination of jazz, swing, Latin music, fusion, contemporary arrangements, big-band performances, vocal jazz and crossover collaborations once the full programme is released.

Event dates

June – July 2027 (Dates TBD)

The 2027 festival period has not yet been published with an official detailed calendar.

The event traditionally takes place during the summer season, with the Palermo programme complemented by concerts in other Sicilian destinations through Sicilia Jazz On Tour.

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

Venue & festival site

Teatro di Verdura

Teatro di Verdura is the principal large-scale concert venue for the festival’s headline productions in Palermo. The outdoor theatre provides the setting for major collaborations between international guest artists and the Orchestra Jazz Siciliana.

Recent programmes have included artists such as Kurt Elling, Tony Hadley, Tosca, Stefano Di Battista, Francesco Renga and Fabrizio Bosso at this venue.

Palazzo Chiaramonte Steri

Steri hosts Jazz Village performances, including evening concerts, piano recitals, vocal projects, international ensembles and special productions.

Real Teatro Santa Cecilia

The historic theatre is one of the main Jazz Village locations and provides a more intimate indoor environment for jazz groups, conservatory ensembles, international musicians and emerging artists.

Chiesa di Santa Maria dello Spasimo

Spasimo hosts Jazz Village concerts and provides an atmospheric historic setting for smaller jazz ensembles, vocal groups, experimental projects and international performers.

Orto Botanico di Palermo

The Botanical Garden has become an additional festival performance location, hosting evening concerts and special projects in an outdoor environment.

Sicilia Jazz On Tour locations

The wider programme travels to locations throughout Sicily, using theatres, historic buildings, archaeological areas, town squares, waterfront sites and other cultural venues.

Full lineup

The full Sicilia Jazz Festival 2027 lineup has not yet been announced.

Based on the established festival format, the programme is expected to include:

• International jazz performers
• Italian jazz musicians
• Orchestra Jazz Siciliana productions
• Big bands and large ensembles
• Jazz vocalists
• Piano, guitar, saxophone and trumpet performers
• Swing and manouche projects
• Latin and Brazilian music
• Fusion and contemporary jazz
• Conservatory jazz departments
• Emerging Sicilian musicians
• International guest ensembles
• Sicilia Jazz On Tour artists

The festival’s latest programme demonstrates the breadth of its artistic approach, with performers and ensembles representing Italy, Spain, Portugal, Cuba, Brazil, the Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, the United States, India and other musical communities.

Headliners & featured artists

The 2027 headliners have not yet been confirmed.

Recent editions have featured major international and Italian artists in specially commissioned productions with the Orchestra Jazz Siciliana.

The latest completed programme featured:

• Kurt Elling
• Tony Hadley
• Tosca feat. Stefano Di Battista
• Francesco Renga feat. Fabrizio Bosso
• Orchestra Jazz Siciliana

These productions demonstrate the festival’s emphasis on combining established artists from different musical backgrounds with a large Sicilian jazz orchestra.

Earlier editions have also featured Village People, John Pizzarelli, Victor Wooten, Nina Zilli, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Jazzmeia Horn, Piero Pelù and Eliane Elias.

Stages & performance areas

Teatro di Verdura

The principal headline performance environment, used for large-scale productions with the Orchestra Jazz Siciliana and internationally recognised guest artists.

Jazz Village

The Jazz Village is the festival’s broader multi-venue programme, with concerts distributed among several historic Palermo locations.

Real Teatro Santa Cecilia

An indoor venue for conservatory performances, jazz quartets, international ensembles and emerging artists.

Chiesa di Santa Maria dello Spasimo

A historic church setting used for jazz ensembles, vocal groups, experimental performances and international projects.

Palazzo Steri

A major Jazz Village location for evening performances, special productions, piano recitals and larger ensembles.

Orto Botanico

An outdoor garden setting used for selected evening concerts and special musical projects.

Sicilia Jazz On Tour

The touring section creates additional performance areas throughout Sicily, including historic squares, archaeological sites, theatres and cultural buildings.

Stage-by-stage schedule

The 2027 stage schedule has not yet been released.

The latest festival format can be broadly divided as follows:

Teatro di Verdura

Expected to concentrate the major headline productions, particularly collaborations between the Orchestra Jazz Siciliana and internationally recognised vocalists and instrumentalists.

Real Teatro Santa Cecilia

Expected to feature a mixture of conservatory projects, professional jazz groups, international guests and emerging performers.

Chiesa di Santa Maria dello Spasimo

Expected to provide intimate performances from jazz quartets, vocal ensembles, international projects and experimental groups.

Palazzo Steri

Expected to host evening Jazz Village productions, piano performances, big bands and special crossover projects.

Orto Botanico

Expected to present selected outdoor concerts and special projects in a distinctive botanical setting.

Sicilia Jazz On Tour

Expected to bring additional performances to towns and cultural sites throughout Sicily.

Set times

The 2027 set times have not yet been announced.

The latest programme shows that the Jazz Village uses several performance windows throughout the evening. Some concerts begin in the early evening, while major Steri performances can take place later in the evening. Outdoor Orto Botanico concerts have also used evening start times.

Major headline productions at Teatro di Verdura have traditionally been scheduled for late-evening performances.

Visitors attending multiple Jazz Village venues should allow enough time to walk or travel between locations.

Ticket types

The 2027 ticket prices have not yet been announced.

The latest festival structure provides both paid headline concerts and low-cost Jazz Village access. The latest brochure lists Jazz Village admission at approximately $5.75 for a daily pass and approximately $11.50 for access to the entire Jazz Village programme.

For the previous detailed ticket structure, the Teatro di Verdura used different seating categories and price bands. Converted from the published previous-edition prices, the individual ticket structure was approximately:

Headline concert tickets

• Premium front seating: $57.50 for higher-priced performances
• Standard front seating: $51.75
• Distinguished seating: $46.00
• Numbered gallery seating: $40.25

Lower ticket band

• Premium front seating: $40.25
• Standard front seating: $34.50
• Distinguished seating: $28.75
• Numbered gallery seating: $23.00

Under-26 tickets

• Higher ticket band: approximately $51.75, $46.00, $40.25 and $34.50
• Lower ticket band: approximately $34.50, $28.75, $23.00 and $17.25

These figures are converted from the previous edition’s published ticket prices and are provided as a planning reference rather than confirmed 2027 prices.

VIP & premium options

The festival does not primarily operate around commercial VIP packages.

Instead, premium access has traditionally been represented by the highest seating categories at Teatro di Verdura and by full subscriptions covering the major headline programme.

The previous edition offered full Teatro di Verdura subscriptions with premium seating at approximately $184.00, standard seating at $172.50, distinguished seating at $161.00 and numbered gallery seating at $149.50.

Reduced Under-26 subscriptions were approximately $172.50, $161.00, $149.50 and $138.00 respectively. These are previous-edition prices converted to USD.

The 2027 premium seating and subscription structure will depend on the final programme.

Event rules

Visitors should follow the access requirements of the festival and the individual venues.

Important considerations include:

• Carry a valid ticket or reservation where required.
• Follow seating instructions from venue staff.
• Arrive early for headline concerts.
• Keep mobile phones silent during performances.
• Respect performers and other audience members.
• Follow security procedures at entrances.
• Follow venue-specific rules concerning bags and recording equipment.
• Check the official programme for any changes or special access instructions.
• Follow staff instructions during outdoor performances.
• For free or limited-capacity events, arrive early because places may be limited.

Because Sicilia Jazz Festival uses theatres, churches, historic buildings, gardens and archaeological locations, individual venue regulations can differ.

How to get there

From Palermo Airport

Palermo Falcone Borsellino Airport is the principal airport for international and domestic visitors. Palermo can be reached from the airport by train, bus, taxi or private transfer.

By train

Palermo Centrale is the city’s principal railway hub and provides connections with other Sicilian destinations.

By car

Visitors travelling by car can reach Palermo through Sicily’s road network, although traffic and restricted-access areas in the historic centre should be considered.

Between festival venues

Several Jazz Village venues are located in central Palermo, making walking practical between some performances. Others may require local public transport or taxi services.

For Sicilia Jazz On Tour

Visitors attending touring concerts outside Palermo should plan separate regional journeys according to the specific town and venue.

Public transport & parking

Urban buses

Palermo’s public bus network connects the central districts and can be useful for reaching venues farther from the historic centre.

Train

Rail services are particularly useful for airport transfers and regional travel.

Walking

Steri, Santa Maria dello Spasimo and Real Teatro Santa Cecilia are situated within the central Palermo area, making walking practical for many visitors staying nearby.

Parking

The principal festival venues do not operate as dedicated festival parking areas. Visitors arriving by car should use public or private parking facilities and allow additional time for walking to the venue.

Parking can become more difficult around major headline performances, so arriving early is advisable.

Accommodation areas

Kalsa

One of the most convenient areas for visitors attending the Jazz Village, particularly performances around Santa Maria dello Spasimo, Steri and the historic centre.

Palermo historic centre

A practical base for visitors planning to attend several different festival venues on foot.

La Loggia

Useful for visitors wanting to remain close to central cultural attractions, restaurants and performance locations.

Near Palermo Centrale

Convenient for visitors using trains and airport connections or travelling to other Sicilian destinations.

Mondello

A suitable option for visitors who want a seaside stay while attending the Palermo programme, although it is farther from the principal festival venues.

Food & drink

Sicilia Jazz Festival takes place throughout Palermo rather than inside a single enclosed festival ground, allowing visitors to combine concerts with the city’s restaurants, cafés, bars and food markets.

Traditional Palermo food to look for includes:

• Arancine
• Panelle
• Sfincione
• Pasta con le sarde
• Pasta alla Norma
• Caponata
• Fresh seafood
• Cannoli
• Cassata
• Sicilian wines

The historic Kalsa area around several Jazz Village venues provides numerous options for eating before or after concerts.

Visitors attending late evening performances at Teatro di Verdura can also plan dinner in the surrounding Palermo area before travelling to the theatre.

Accessibility

Accessibility arrangements depend on the individual festival venue.

The festival uses established theatres, historic churches, gardens, palaces and outdoor spaces, so access conditions can differ between locations.

Visitors with mobility requirements or other accessibility needs should contact the festival organisers before attending a specific performance to confirm seating, entrance arrangements and venue access.

The official festival contact information lists the organisation at Via dello Spasimo 15/15, Palermo, with dedicated ticket and information contacts.

Best days to attend

For international headliners

Focus on the Teatro di Verdura programme once the 2027 headline artists are announced.

For traditional jazz

The Jazz Village is the best area for discovering quartets, vocal groups, big bands, conservatory ensembles and smaller jazz projects.

For emerging musicians

Look for performances by the Sicilian conservatories and young musicians participating in the Jazz Village programme.

For orchestral jazz

The major productions involving the Orchestra Jazz Siciliana provide the festival’s defining large-scale musical format.

For international sounds

The latest programme included artists and projects connected with Brazil, Cuba, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, India, the United States and other musical traditions.

For a full festival experience

A multi-day visit allows visitors to combine headline productions with free or low-cost touring concerts, Jazz Village performances and the historic venues of central Palermo.

Previous year’s highlights

The latest completed festival programme expanded the event’s combination of major orchestral productions and the Jazz Village.

Headline productions included Tosca with Stefano Di Battista, Francesco Renga with Fabrizio Bosso, Kurt Elling and Tony Hadley, all performing with the Orchestra Jazz Siciliana in specially created programmes.

The Jazz Village featured 86 concerts across Real Teatro Santa Cecilia, Santa Maria dello Spasimo, Steri and Orto Botanico. The programme included conservatory departments from across Sicily alongside professional musicians and international guests.

The programme included a particularly broad range of styles and international projects, including Jorge Luis Pacheco from Cuba, DUsul from Lisbon, Graziella Hunsel Riviero from the Netherlands, Gradus from Spain, Nelson Faria and Sandro Haick representing Brazil and Italy, Rouhangeze Baichoo from the UK and India, and Jazz Brigade with Freddie Hendricks in a Poland-USA collaboration.

The Sicilia Jazz On Tour programme also expanded the festival beyond Palermo, with performances in locations including Favignana, Cefalù, Alcamo, Erice, Balestrate, Ciminna, Custonaci, Partinico and other Sicilian communities.

Earlier editions have featured major names including Village People, John Pizzarelli, Victor Wooten, Nina Zilli, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Jazzmeia Horn, Piero Pelù and Eliane Elias.

Official tickets

Official 2027 ticket information has not yet been announced.

The festival’s official website links to its ticketing system and provides programme, ticket and event information. Recent editions have used multiple authorised ticketing channels, including 18tickets, TicketOne and other official partners.

For planning purposes, the latest published structure included paid headline concerts at Teatro di Verdura, while Jazz Village access was offered at low-cost daily or full-programme rates. Sicilia Jazz On Tour has also included free-access performances in participating towns.

Official website: https://siciliajazzfestival.com/

Video

Location

FAQ