The fun is out there The Nuits de Fourvière, June - August, Lyon
Stuttgart Jazz Open, 4 - 10 July, Stuttgart
From June to early August, the Roman theaters host various shows such as concerts (popular music, jazz, classical), dancing, theater and cinema. International artists who usually fill up much larger venues are often seduced by the special atmosphere of the theaters. Keep your eyes peeled for these once in a lifetime performances when you visit the city of Lyon.
This almost week long event features American, European and other international performers at two downtown venues; one outdoors and one indoors. For more information go to www.jazzopen.com.
Fête de la Musique, 21 June, Berlin On this day all kinds of music is played around the city coordinating with a similar day in several French cities. Fête de la Musique, the Feast of Music or the Worldwide Music Day is celebrated in Berlin on the day of the summer solstice.
Warsaw Summer Jazz Days, 21 - 26 June, Warsaw The idea of Warsaw Summer Jazz Days festival was intro duced in 1992 and the festival itself immediately grew to be one of the most important jazz festivals in Europe. It promotes contemporary jazz, gathering creative artists of contrasting backgrounds and hosting the newest and most innovative performances.Warsaw Summer Jazz Days keeps an avantgarde character. Two days of innovative jazz followed by one day with a free entry jazz concert and the final day’s performance of best jazz artists. When it comes to world class jazz on polish stage, WSJD has become the most awaited event of the year. If you want to be up to date with every current jazz trend, this is the place to go.
Bergmannstraßenfest Kreuzberg jazzt, 28 - 30 June, Berlin Every year Kreuzberg’s Berg mannstrasse, one of the most attractive and diverse areas in Berlin’s old city center, transforms into a must-see scene for jazz and music fans in general. Showcasing over 50 groups on a series of stages this festival has a reputation far beyond the city’s borders. The festival combines Kreuzberg’s characteristic lively atmosphere with stunning music, great food and a multicultural feel-good factor, irresistible for young and old.
underground! With a line-up of leading international singers and musicians - there’s something for opera goers of all ages.
Amsterdam Roots Festival, 5 - 8 July, Amsterdam
De Parade, 10 - 27 August, Amsterdam
The Amsterdam Roots Festival is a leading festival of non-west ern music. The festival attracts bands and artists from all over the world and approximately 60,000 visitors each year. It is considered to be one of the most important music festi vals in Holland. You can enjoy performances of fado, zouk dance, hiphop, latin-jazz, rumba, flamenco and more non-west ern music from all corners of the earth; Cape Verde to the Caribbean, Mongolia to South Africa. The festival takes place in different venues throughout Amsterdam, such as Paradiso and the Melkweg. The highlight of the Amsterdam Roots Festival is in the ‘Oosterpark’, where 50,000 people come together to watch and dance to over 40 performances. Make sure you don’t miss it!
Circus turns vintage, on an old-fashioned fairground with many different kinds of tents, the performers are each trying to attract their public, featuring spectacles of dance, theater, magic, art, animation and music. Set in Martin Luther King Park, this event offers a slew of live music performances, exciting activities, culinary delights and a truly unique atmosphere guaranteed to create a memorable day no matter what language you speak.
© jazz.dk / Kristoffer Juel Poulsen
Copenhagen Jazz Festival, 5 - 14 July, Copenhagen Featuring ten days of jazz this famous jazz festival is spread all around Copenhagen – parks, cafes, clubs, and theaters. The festival usually offers a few headline acts but there are more than 1000 concerts, indoors and outdoors, to choose from and the real attraction is often the obscure concert you bump into randomly in a park or square somewhere in the city. For more information visit www. jazz.dk.
Film festivals British shorts, 11 - 14 April, Berlin Presenting the most exciting, funniest, strangest and most thrilling short films from the home of the dirty weather British Short Film Festival in Berlin has it all; drama, comedy, thrillers, animation, experimental, documentaries, horror, science fiction and music videos straight from Britain.
CPH:PIX, 11 - 28 April, Copenhagen, Aarhus, Od ense and Kolding This relatively new feature film festival is the result of a merger between Copenhagen’s two popular long running festivals – the Night Film Festival and the Copenhagen International Film Festival. Cinemas in four Danish cities will screen a record num ber of more than 130 films from all over the world. For more information go to www.cphpix.dk.
Copenhagen Opera Festival, 28 July - 4 August, Copenhagen The Copenhagen Opera Festival is a must for any opera lover. It also appeals to the new curious generation that wants to become familiar with opera and experience the drama and passion of this fine and magic art, performed in new spaces around Copenhagen – on the streets, on the water and even
108 ı WOW lifts you up where you belong
Sundance London, 25 - 28 April, London The spin off of America’s indie film festival founded by Robert Redford in 1987 will showcase films screened at the Utah-based film festival in January. Last year the film festival brought 27 film
screenings, including many European premieres, and per formances by 17 musical acts. Prince Charles attended one of the premieres, and Rufus and Martha Wainwright performed live following the world premiere of Lian Lunson’s film about their mother’s music. If last year’s format is repeated, audiences will be treated to thoughtprovoking panel discussions featuring industry experts, live music performances, screenings and panel discussions.
Zulu Sommerbio, July August, Copenhagen Maybe not a film festival per se. In July and August Danish television station ‘TV2 Zulu’ plays open air films in various parks and squares of Copenhagen. There are movies in both Danish and English and they are free to watch. You can buy beer and popcorn and enjoy the show.
Cinema en Plein Air, July August, Paris Every summer, Parisians traipse to the ultramodern Parc de la Villette in northern Paris with blankets and folding chairs to take advantage of celluloid in the breeze. The open-air cinema, or “cinéma en plein air”, is generally free and hosts at least one show each evening for around a month in July and August, with a program chock full of both classics and recent hits. Many of the films are shown in English.
Parades St Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival, 17 March, London London’s Irish community has always celebrated St Patrick’s Day in the traditional manner, with church services, music, dancing and plenty of Guinness and whisky. The main performance stage is in Trafalgar Square with live shows, music and dance, from midday. Of course, the best places to celebrate are the pubs and Catholic churches throughout London, with their mix of religion, music and good cheer. Keep an eye on where the real London Irish go after the parade and get ready for a memorable evening.
Christopher Street Day, 22 June, Berlin The Berlin gay pride parade, or Christopher Street Day as the German name their gay prides, is a well well-known annual political demonstration for the