Visitor Numbers Surpassed All Expectations

With the high-energy session of Austrian bassist Lukas Kranzelbinder, the 45th Jazzfestival Saalfelden came to a close last night. For four days, the town in the Salzburgerland region once again transformed into a stage for contemporary jazz and experimental music – and into a meeting place for an open-minded and enthusiastic audience.

190 artists from 26 countries, more than 28,500 concert visits, a capacity utilization of 98%, and a record in ticket sales: the 2025 edition exceeded all expectations. The program defied categorization – stylistically diverse, artistically bold, and emotionally moving.

 

A Festival Between Nature and Urbanity
The festival kick-off on Thursday already made a statement: The City Tracks in the town park attracted large crowds with acts such as Sir Waldo Weathers & Henry Carpaneto Trio and Vieux Farka Touré, turning the center of Saalfelden into a funk and blues zone. Dutch guitarist Teis Semey, who performed on several stages throughout the festival weekend, gave his first concert together with Estonian pianist Kirke Karja in the unique setting of the Fuchs bookbindery. The project Chez Fría merged old and new – from Baroque to Trap – into a witty sound experiment.
The popular Short Cuts at Nexus once again delivered great discoveries on a small stage: concerts by Max Andrzejewski & Ensemble Resonanz, Alfred Vogel with Leo Genovese & Camila Nebbia, and the Portuguese trio HIIT sold out already on the first day.
In the industrial atmosphere of the Otto Gruber Hall, acts such as Phønix and I Like To Sleep created impressive soundscapes, while outside in the town park, bands like the SoulVision Allstars and the Italian formation Shanti Powa kept the festival vibe alive despite cooler temperatures.

 

Variety on the Mainstage
Following the Mainstage opening concert at Congress Saalfelden by Austrian musician Leonhard Skorupa, who invited collaborators from Germany and Estonia on saxophone, piano, bass, and percussion for his commissioned project “Sonic Feast”, the stage featured primarily international ensembles this year, including Laura Jurd, Tomoki Sanders, [Ahmed], Ancient to the Future, and The Bad Plus w/ Chris Potter & Craig Taborn. Austrian drummer Alfred Vogel also brought Argentina and Portugal into play with his Bezau Beatz Orchestra of Good Hope.

 

Jazz in Nature and in the Heart of the City
Once again, the Mountain Tracks and musical flash mobs proved to be unique highlights: the Einsiedelei (hermitage) concert with Laura Jurd and saxophonist Jon Irabagon cast the alpine soundscape in an entirely new light. Valentin Schuster and other artists left creative marks in the cityscape with spontaneous mini-concerts at unexpected locations – a signature feature of the festival.

 

Records, Awards, and Impact
“We look back on an extraordinarily successful edition in the history of the festival,” says Marco Pointner, Managing Director of Saalfelden Leogang Touristik & organizer of the Jazzfestival Saalfelden. “With a capacity utilization of 98% and just over 28,500 concert visits, the previous record was slightly surpassed once again – and more tickets were sold than ever before.”

A special milestone was receiving the EJN Award for Adventurous Programming, which honors the festival’s bold and diverse program selection on a European level. The latest economic impact study proves that artistic ambition and financial success are not mutually exclusive: the festival generated a regional gross value added of around €5.3 million.

With an overall budget of approximately €870,000, more than €190,000 was generated through ticket sales – another record. Particularly encouraging: the audience is not only growing in numbers, but also in diversity. More and more young and international visitors are drawn to Saalfelden, while long-standing jazz enthusiasts remain loyal to the festival – a balance that impressively underlines its future viability.

 

Unforgettable Moments 
Whether intimate improvisations at the bookbindery, danceable grooves in the town park, or breathtaking soundscapes high up in the mountains – the 45th Jazzfestival Saalfelden was shaped by moments that touched, surprised, and lingered.
Artists such as Patricia Brennan, Mette Rasmussen, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Andreas Schaerer, and Sun-Mi Hong turned the festival into a place of musical freedom. Boundaries dissolved, new sound worlds were opened – and again and again, a special connection emerged between stage and audience.
Mario Steidl, Artistic Director of the Jazzfestival Saalfelden, is thrilled: “Every time I think it can’t get any better, the festival surprises me again: it moves, touches, makes happy and grateful – and goes a little deeper than everything that came before. Maybe we grow together over time: artists, audience, team, and town – becoming a kind of ‘large ensemble’ that meets with curiosity and joy, supports and drives each other, and once again rushes into the next adventure with anticipation. I am grateful that the EJN Adventurous Programming Award gave us an interim round of applause that encourages us to keep going.”

 

Outlook: The Anticipation Begins Now
After this outstanding festival year, the team looks ahead with great confidence and fresh inspiration to the coming editions. The small but fine winter festival “3 Days of Jazz” will take place from January 23 to 25, 2026, before the 46th Jazzfestival Saalfelden is scheduled for August 20 to 23, 2026. Once again, audiences can look forward to diverse and daring programs.

The festival will remain true to its essence: musical discoveries in unique settings, defined by openness, curiosity, and a one-of-a-kind atmosphere between mountains and stages. Preparations are already underway – and those who attended in 2025 know: it pays to mark the calendar early.