Lugano is preparing to experience its traditional appointment with excellent music: from 10 to 12 July 2025, come back Summer Jazz, the festival that for forty-five editions has transformed the heart of the city into an open-air stage. A highly anticipated event, which this year promises to exceed all expectations, intertwining timeless harmonies and the most innovative musical trends. Not just a festival, but a true summer ritual that marks the beginning of the vast Lugano LongLake Festival, animating the Ticino capital with an explosion of culture and entertainment.
Jazz stars and awards of excellence
The 2025 edition of Summer Jazz promises to be memorable, with a lineup that skillfully mixes big names from the international scene and emerging artists. Among the most anticipated presences, the return of the guitar virtuoso stands out Al Di MeolaMore, who will perform with the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana, in a combination of jazz fusion and symphonic sounds that promises thrills. The stage in Piazza della Riforma will also welcome the contagious energy of Youssou N'Dour, the Senegalese legend of World Music, and the soul charisma of Jack Savoretti, in a musical journey that from Ticino embraces the world. The funky power of Candy dulfer, saxophone icon, and the exceptional vocal talent of Kurt Elling & Yellowjackets, in a tribute to Weather Report that will delight jazz fans.
A moment of particular emotion will be the delivery of the Estival Jazz 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award ai Take 6. The famous vocal group, described by Quincy Jones as “the strongest vocalists on the planet”, will bring their crystalline harmony and their unmistakable mix of gospel, jazz, R&B and pop to the stage in Piazza della Riforma on Friday 11 July. With 10 Grammy Awards and a career spanning decades, Take 6 represent the pinnacle of a cappella vocal art, and their return to Lugano, after their historic performance in 1992, is an unmissable event for all music lovers.
Estival Jazz between stars and new discoveries
Summer Jazz expands this year with an exciting novelty: in addition to the iconic stage in Piazza della Riforma and the suggestive location of Punta Foce, a second stage is being introduced in Piazza Manzoni. This strategic addition will guarantee a continuous flow of live music, further enriching the audience experience and offering space for a wide variety of artists.
The detailed program reveals a sound mosaic that ranges from contemporary jazz to fusion, from afrobeat to soul, from hip-hop to indie-pop. Thursday, July 10, the festival will kick off with the new generations represented by the Ticinese jupiter.clouds in Punta Foce and the Soul-Afro Fusion of Alina Amuri in Piazza della Riforma. The evening will continue with the electrifying rhythms of Lady Bazaar and the trumpeter daoud in Piazza Manzoni, culminating with the highly anticipated concert of Al Di Meola and the explosive closing of PATAX.
On Friday, July 11, in addition to the aforementioned performance by Take 6, the public will be able to appreciate the virtuosity of Kurt Elling & Yellowjackets, the R&B sounds of Pilar and Naomi Lareine, up to the grand finale with the unmistakable energy of Candy Dulfer.
Saturday 12th July will see the singer-songwriter Julian Brown on stage in Punta Foce, followed by the talent of Gonzalo Rubalcaba in Piazza della Riforma and the innovative project Christian Zatta's Nova in Piazza Manzoni. The evening will reach its climax with the performance of Jack Savoretti and the musical introspection of Jamila, before the triumphal closing entrusted to Youssou N'Dour & Le Super Étoile de Dakar, an icon who returns to illuminate Summer Jazz almost thirty years after his first Lifetime Achievement Award.
A festival for everyone: open doors to music and sustainability
A fundamental aspect of Summer Jazz is its accessibility. The entrance to the concerts remains completely Free in the standing areas of Piazza della Riforma, Piazza Manzoni and Punta Foce. A new feature this year is the possibility of purchasing a reserved seat in front of the main stage in Piazza della Riforma, for those who wish to enjoy the concerts in greater comfort. This initiative, with advance sales available on biglietteria.ch, helps to support the quality and continuity of an event that has enriched the cultural panorama of Ticino for almost half a century.
As underlined by Roberto Badaracco, Deputy Mayor and Head of the Department of Culture, Sport and Events of the City of Lugano, Summer Jazz is not just a music festival, but a driving force of experiences, creativity and encounters that generate positive effects on the social and economic fabric of the city. This is the initial beat of the Lugano LongLake Festival (10 – 27 July 2025), one of the largest open-air urban events in Switzerland, which for eighteen days will animate Lugano with over 300 events, mostly free, embracing music, shows, urban art, family activities and much more.
