Cuba's 42nd Jazz Plaza Festival will run from January 24 to 31, 2027, across Havana, five other provinces and a new satellite venue in Mexico, with more than 120 U.S. musicians confirmed.

(FILE) With the presence of Cuban, European and North American exponents, Jazz Plaza Festival celebrates its 42nd edition in January with sub-venues in six Cuban provinces and in Mexico. Photo: Jazz Plaza.

Cuba’s 42nd Jazz Plaza Festival will run from January 24 to 31, 2027, across Havana, five other provinces and a new satellite venue in Mexico, with more than 120 U.S. musicians confirmed.

The Jazz Plaza International Festival, one of the reference points on the world jazz calendar, will hold its 42nd edition from January 24 to 31, 2027, in Havana, its customary main seat, the organizing committee announced this Wedneday.

Organizers presented the plans at the “Benny Moré” Mexico-Cuba Cultural Center in Mexico City. Committee president Víctor Rodríguez García highlighted the growing participation of Mexican, North American and European musicians and reaffirmed the commitment to hold the festival despite the difficulties facing the country.

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“We want everyone to know that from January 24 to 31 there will be a festival in Havana with Mexican participation, and that there will also be a venue in this country,” Rodríguez said at the press conference.

According to a caption accompanying the original report, more than 120 U.S. artists have already confirmed their participation despite restrictions imposed by the U.S. blockade.

The 42nd edition of Jazz Plaza International Festival will take place from January 24 to 31, 2027 in 🇨🇺. It will also include tributes to Bola de Nieve, the Roberto Faz Ensemble and the Chepín Chovén, in addition to an inaugural concert by Frank Fernández. pic.twitter.com/1xlvCNvqs2

— Gabriela Glez (@Gabiglez06) October 14, 2026

The 2027 edition will be dedicated to dance. The program includes tributes to Cuban pianist “Bola de Nieve” and to the popular orchestra Chepín-Choven. Cuban performers will include jazz figures Hernán López-Nussa, Roberto Fonseca and Alejandro Falcón.

The opening night belongs to pianist Frank Fernández, a composer of at least 650 works spanning symphonies, choirs and ballets. Organizers also underscored one of the festival’s enduring achievements, its alliance with Cuba’s music education system, which has trained generations of jazz performers now recognized internationally.

The National Folkloric Ensemble of Cuba and the Maraguán Artistic Ensemble of the University of Camagüey, among other groups, will also take part. The official poster was designed by artist Lesbia Vent Dumois, a National Prize for Visual Arts winner.

That bond has made the festival more than a concert series. It functions as a bridge between conservatories and professional stages, giving young Cuban musicians a window into an international circuit that rarely opens to the island.

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Una publicación compartida de Festival Jazz Plaza (@jazzplazafestival)

Text reads: “Abdala studios recorded the musical theme that will accompany the 42nd edition of the International Jazz Plaza Festival. A space for training and growth for the new generations. Thanks to master Roberto Fonseca and his entire team.”

Mexico Joins In

Havana, with 20 stages, will be joined by Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, Camagüey, Villa Clara and Matanzas as host provinces during the week devoted to jazz. One of the festival’s stated goals and achievements has been its link with the music education system, which in recent decades has trained some of Cuba’s most internationally recognized performers of the genre.

During the press conference, organizers announced several initiatives to facilitate Mexican participation and joint work. Mexican organizers announced a series of initiatives to ease attendance and collaborative work. The “Benny Moré” center has been proposed as a satellite stage, adding interactive presentations to its streaming broadcasts, a format that lets distant audiences follow the concerts in real time.

With the dates set for the final week of January 2027, Havana anchors the festival while the five additional provinces and the Mexican venue extend its reach. Streaming broadcasts from the Benny Moré center will carry portions of the program to audiences beyond both countries.

The Jazz Plaza Festival is one of the main fixtures on the international jazz calendar and, held each January in Havana, has long drawn musicians and audiences from several countries. The expansion to Mexico suggests organizers are looking to widen the festival’s reach beyond the island.

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