The Rome Jazz Festival is celebrating its 50th anniversary and is paying tribute to Miles Davis on the centenary of his birth

The 2026 Rome Jazz Festival will be an edition dedicated to the great Miles Davis; this year marks an important milestone – the festival’s 50th anniversary – whilst it also coincides with the centenary of the birth of both Miles and John Coltrane. It was 1976 when the festival was first held at the very distinctive venue of the Quercia del Tasso on the Gianicolo, a place which, according to the organisers, should be restored. Various venues followed before the festival settled at its current home, the Auditorium Parco della Musica. On Tuesday, a distinctive press conference was held there, with the conference room transformed into a jazz club complete with small tables, live performances and sparkling wine. A discussion featuring leading figures in jazz and music journalism—Marco Molendini, Claudia Fayenz, Luigi Onori and Paolo Biamonte—also took place. ‘Rereading Miles, Rethinking Jazz’ is the title of the 2026 festival, taking place from 1 to 24 November at the ‘Ennio Morricone’ Auditorium Parco della Musica, though with events also held at other venues: Fossanova Abbey, the Church of San Domenico in Rieti, the Casa del Jazz and the Alcazar in Trastevere. Enzo Favata and Domenico Rizzuto performed on stage in front of the journalists.

‘Where are we now in the history of jazz?’ was the theme around which the discussion centred. “Right from the start, the festival has defined a clear identity for itself, namely that of exploration. We have never viewed jazz as a museum in which to shut ourselves away, for a niche audience, but have always sought to look ahead, to open ourselves up to the world and to the contemporary, without standing still but moving forward in a process of constant learning. Just as Davis did throughout his life…”, says the artistic director, Mario Ciampà. During the discussion with journalists, episodes from the past were also recalled, such as when, after a concert at the Palazzo della Civiltà, Davis wanted to meet the journalists and received them in his dressing gown in his hotel room. Or the first time Michel Petrucciani appeared at the festival, carried onto the stage in someone’s arms. Or a concert by Sonny Rollins described as ‘hypnotic’. Or the great Wayne Shorter who, in a post-concert interview, whilst describing his music, said: ‘I want to open a door to the unknown…’. In short, great moments. After all, they’ve all passed through here. “If 25 years ago we were in a transitional phase, with the big names gradually disappearing and a future yet to be written, we are now in a more defined phase where jazz takes on various forms, becomes hybrid, isn’t afraid to mix and transform itself before returning to its roots: with electronic music, sampling, hip hop or rap, and ethnic and folk music. The most innovative developments now, for example, are coming from the Arab world. The challenge of the future, if anything, will be how to interact with AI,” the journalists on stage explain. In short, talk of jazz ‘purism’ no longer makes sense. As Miles Davis himself taught us with his shift towards electronic music – for which he was heavily criticised – with albums such as Bitches Brew first, and Tutu later. The regret today, if anything, is the difficulty faced by small clubs, given that the costs of booking a big name are prohibitive for them. And many are closing down. Another hotly debated issue is just how far one can branch out into pop: is it right that Umbria Jazz should also feature concerts by Mika or David Byrne? “The latter is better than the former, but it’s the only way to fill the Arena Santa Giuliana, and the revenue from those concerts keeps the others afloat. But perhaps some boundaries need to be set…”, was the critics’ response.

Opening this edition (the first without financial support from the City Council) will be Paolo Fresu with "Kind of Lives". Then, amongst many others, Steve Coleman and the Five Elements; the multi-award-winning Cuban Gonzalo Rubalcaba alongside Hamilton de Holanda; the Yellojackets with Kurt Elling revisiting Weather Report; Jeremy Pelt; and, to close the festival, Jason Miles (arranger of Tutu), who will pay tribute to Davis. Notable names from the new Italian scene include Eleonora Strino, Rosa Brunello, the aforementioned Rizzuto and Chiara Civello. The Alcazar will host the Polish band Omasta, whilst the events in Rieti and Fossanova will be dedicated to John Coltrane, who was also born in 1916: his in September, whilst Miles’s will be in May.