When is Kanazawa Jazz Street 2027?

Kanazawa Jazz Street takes place on the second weekend of September, on 11 and 12 September in 2027. The festival began in 1989 and uses more than 30 venues across the city.

Is Kanazawa Jazz Street free?

Most performances are free, including all outdoor and lobby shows. Some headline concert hall performances need tickets, typically 2,000 to 4,000 yen as of recent editions, and these sell out in advance through the festival website.

Which areas have the most venues?

The Katamachi entertainment district and the Higashi Chaya geisha area both have clusters of venues within walking distance. A programme is available from the official website from August and at tourist information offices in Kanazawa Station.

11–12 September 2027

Kanazawa Jazz Street

Name: Kanazawa Jazz Street
Start: 2027-09-11
End: 2027-09-12
Location: Kanazawa

Kanazawa

Kanazawa Jazz Street 2027, 11–12 Sep. Free outdoor jazz at 30+ venues across Kanazawa - one of Japan's largest jazz festivals. Free entry.

Event details

Date: 11–12 September 2027
Location: Kanazawa

Kanazawa Jazz Street takes place on the second weekend of September and is one of Japan’s largest jazz festivals, drawing over 100,000 listeners across two days. The festival makes use of more than 30 venues throughout the city, ranging from outdoor plazas and parks to hotel lobbies, concert halls, and streets in the Higashi Chaya and Katamachi districts. The overwhelming majority of performances are free to attend, making it one of the most accessible music festivals in Japan for visitors who happen to be in Kanazawa in September.

The Festival Character

Kanazawa Jazz Street began in 1989 and is genuinely local in character — it emerged from the city’s existing jazz scene and its long-standing culture of arts patronage, a tradition going back to the Maeda clan’s cultivation of classical arts. The festival includes both domestic Japanese jazz artists and a selection of international performers. Genre coverage ranges from traditional small-group jazz and swing to contemporary fusion; the outdoor stages in Katamachi and near Kanazawa Station tend to feature louder, more popular acts, while the smaller indoor venues host more intimate performances.

How to Navigate the Festival

A festival programme (typically available from the official website from August, and in printed form at tourist information offices in Kanazawa Station) lists all venues, times, and performers. With 30+ venues operating simultaneously, the most practical approach is to pick a district and walk between nearby venues rather than trying to cover the whole city. The Katamachi entertainment district and the Higashi Chaya geisha area both have clusters of venues within easy walking distance of each other.

Some headline or special performances in concert halls require tickets (typically 2,000-4,000 yen as of recent editions); these sell out in advance through the festival website. All outdoor and lobby performances are free.

Getting to Kanazawa

The Hokuriku Shinkansen connects Kanazawa to Tokyo in approximately 2.5 hours. From Osaka and Kyoto, the Thunderbird limited express to Tsuruga and then Shinkansen takes around 2.5-3 hours total. September weather in Kanazawa is mild (typically 22-27°C), making this one of the more comfortable months to visit. The city is compact enough that most festival venues are reachable on foot or by bicycle from central accommodation. See our Kanazawa guide for suggested areas to stay.

Planning a trip around this festival? Browse guided tours and activities in Kanazawa on GetYourGuide - popular experiences around festival season fill up fast, so book ahead.

Plan Your Trip

Flights - Search flights to Japan
Hotels - Find hotels in Kanazawa
Travel Insurance - Get covered before you go
eSIM - Stay connected from landing
Airport Transfers - Book your airport transfer

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Kanazawa Jazz Street 2027?: Kanazawa Jazz Street takes place on the second weekend of September, on 11 and 12 September in 2027. The festival began in 1989 and uses more than 30 venues across the city.
Is Kanazawa Jazz Street free?: Most performances are free, including all outdoor and lobby shows. Some headline concert hall performances need tickets, typically 2,000 to 4,000 yen as of recent editions, and these sell out in advance through the festival website.
How do I get to Kanazawa for the jazz festival?: The Hokuriku Shinkansen connects Tokyo to Kanazawa in approximately 2.5 hours. From Osaka and Kyoto, the Thunderbird limited express to Tsuruga plus the Shinkansen takes around 2.5 to 3 hours in total.
Which areas have the most venues?: The Katamachi entertainment district and the Higashi Chaya geisha area both have clusters of venues within walking distance. A programme is available from the official website from August and at tourist information offices in Kanazawa Station.