Jazz Ascona is an annual festival held on the Swiss shores of Lake Maggiore between Italy and Switzerland. One of the main events in Europe celebrating the culture of New Orleans, Jazz Ascona, runs for ten days, from late June to early July. Since 2022, the concerts have been free to attend.
Held since 1985, Jazz Ascona is known for its fantastic scenery and diverse rich programming. Overall, the festival features about 200 concerts in four venues along the lakefront as well as at restaurants, alleys, and squares. The festival's lineup is focused on New Orleans jazz styles, from swing and blues to R&B, gospel, and soul. Previous lineups included bands like The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO), directed by Adonis Rose, The Moonlight Gang, The Fat Boys, and others. Every edition of the festival features about 300 musicians, which partake in gospel choirs, jam sessions, exhibits, conferences, and film screenings in addition to concerts.
Since 2006, the festival established Ascona Jazz Award for individuals from the jazz world who distinguished themselves during the previous year or during their career. The list of recipients included prominent musicians like Lillian Boutté, Red Holloway, Donald Harrison, Rossano Sportiello, and Jon Cleary.
