Sea Jazz l’Estartit will not take place in summer 2025

The inability of the Decentralized Municipal Entity (EMD) of L’Estartit to provide financial support renders the project unfeasible

L’Estartit, 3 May 2025

The Sea Jazz l’Estartit festival will not be held in the summer of 2025 due to the inability of the Decentralized Municipal Entity (EMD) of L’Estartit to continue the financial support it has provided since 2015, the year in which the EMD was established. Despite the continued collaboration of private sponsors and adjustments by public institutions, the project cannot move forward under these circumstances.

The decision to cancel the 2025 edition follows six months of discussions with the EMD of L’Estartit. Joventuts Musicals de Torroella de Montgrí, the organisation behind Sea Jazz l’Estartit, is now entering a period of reflection and assessment to evaluate the festival’s future and viability.

Created in 2014, Jazz Estartit was launched in response to a cultural need and aimed to establish a model of tourism closely linked to musical activity. It offered a space for jazz in all its forms and fusions, with the sea as its backdrop and the Medes Islands as a constant presence. The Molinet promenade became a meeting point through a consistent programme exploring the relationship between music and place.

In its most recent edition in 2024, Sea Jazz l’Estartit recorded a 95.8% occupancy rate. The project has generated economic activity, contributed to a tourism model rooted in cultural experience, and created a proposal deeply integrated into the town of L’Estartit. The connection between content and location has been one of the festival’s core values.

Over nine editions, the festival has built relationships with artists, agents, and platforms from around the world. It has operated with a strong commitment to the landscape, maintaining a structure that included a food area and open public space by the sea.

Artists who have performed include The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Avishai Cohen, Dianne Reeves, Dave Holland, Kenny Barron, Charles Lloyd, Brad Mehldau, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Julian Lage, Renee Rosnes, Paolo Fresu, Richard Galliano, Madeleine Peyroux, Jordi Rossy, Enrico Rava, Chano Domínguez, Javier Colina, Albert Sanz, Perico Sambea,t Marc Miralta, Elisabet Raspall, Horacio Fumero, Paquito D'Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, Joshua Redman, Richard Bona, Jakob Bro, Stacey Kent, Marco Mezquida, Joan Mar Sauqué, Xavi Torres, Rita Pagés, Raynald Colom, David Xirgu Mulatu Astatke, Mark Guiliana, John Scofield, Kurt Elling, Stefano Bollani, Emmet Cohen, Chucho Valdés, among many others.

We extend our sincere thanks to the public institutions, the Club Nàutic l’Estartit, the members of Joventuts Musicals de Torroella de Montgrí, the entire team, and all those who made this journey possible.

Sea Jazz l’Estartit was built through the relationship between musicians, audiences, and professionals, and has created a shared cultural memory that forms part of the summer nights of the Costa Brava.

We remain committed to sustaining the momentum that once set this project in motion.

Since 2014, Sea Jazz l'Estartit has offered a space dedicated to jazz and its fusions in a natural setting at the Medes Islands, responding to a cultural need in the area.

The programming, carefully curated and of the highest quality, is constantly evolving, establishing the festival as a key event in the summer jazz calendar, thanks to its diversity and the partnerships formed with artists and international platforms. The venue includes a gastronomic area at the village of Molinet, located by the sea. Sea Jazz l'Estartit is committed to sustainability, prioritizing the preservation of the landscape and respect for the environment.

Featured artists by edition: