Jazz w Lesie is an annual festival held every July in a beautiful lush forest on the shore of a lake in the stunning Kashubian Switzerland, a protected area with about 700 lakes, forests, rivers, and wild beaches. The festival boasts a unique atmosphere, as the stage, surrounded by tall alders, is set right by the lake,
Jazz w Lesie was founded in 1996 by jazz musicians Adam Czerwiński and Jacek Leszewski, residing in Sulęczyn. Throughout its history, this event has attracted many prominent musicians, like trumpeter Art Farmer, violist Nigel Kennedy, Bennie Maupin, Harvie Schwarz, Lee Konitz, Garry Bartz, Karen Edwards, Garrison Fewell, Kent Sangster, Pascal Byvalski, Jean Christoph Tant, Asaf Sirkiz and Yaron Stavi. Most established Polish jazz musicians have also performed at the festival. Previous lineups included Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Michał Urbaniak, Wojciech Karolak, Tomasz Szukalski, Grzegorz Nagórski, Zbigniew Wegehaupt, Piotr Wojtasik, Piotr Baron, Krzysztof Herdzin, Leszek Kułakowski, and others.
Jazz w Lesie is especially famous for its night jam sessions in the restaurant, which sometimes last until morning. Improvised performances turn into unique concerts with unexpected line-ups. Jazz in the Forest has become one of the main highlights in the Kashubian cultural calendar, being an amazing artistic event and the attraction of the entire region.
