The Ghent Jazz Festival is an international jazz festival held annually in Ghent over ten days in July.
It began in 2001 as the Blue Note Festival and has developed into one of the leading jazz festivals in Belgium. Around 35,000 visitors attend each year (2012). It has been called the Ghent Jazz Festival since 2008.
It was initially spread over two weekends, the first with a focus on jazz (All that Jazz), the second with other musical genres (All that Jazz?).
Performers at the 2002 festival included Erik Truffaz, Nathalie Loriers, Elvin Jones, Abdullah Ibrahim, Toots Thielemans, Stefano Di Battista, Stacey Kent and Maceo Parker.
In 2008, Erykah Badu, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller and Diana Krall performed, followed by Ornette Coleman in 2010 and Sonny Rollins in 2011.
Melody Gardot, Brad Mehldau, Damien Rice, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Paco de Lucía performed in 2012.
In 2013, John Zorn, Diana Krall, Bryan Ferry with Bobby Womack, the Avishai Cohen Quartet with Stefano Bollani, Martial Solal and Madeleine Peyroux, Dee Dee Bridgewater with Ramsey Lewis, Elvis Costello, Jamie Cullum and José James, Joe Lovano and the Brussels Jazz Orchestra performed.
This year's festival will take place from July 6 to 16, 2023.
