The connection between Jazz em Agosto and Lisbon goes back decades.
So I’d love to start there.
Whenever I speak with artists about the Portuguese jazz scene, there’s one person I always love to mention: Luís Villas-Boas (1924–1999).
Boas was one of the people who made jazz possible in Portugal.
A devoted jazz fan who, in 1948, founded Hot Clube de Portugal, one of Europe’s oldest jazz clubs, after becoming the country’s first jazz radio presenter and building relationships with musicians from the United States and across Europe.
His work helped lay the foundations for jazz in Portugal, and from there, jazz continued to grow across the country.
One of the biggest milestones came in 1971 with the Cascais International Jazz Festival, Portugal’s first major jazz festival.
Its line-up featured artists such as Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and many more, helping establish Portugal on the international jazz map.
In the decades that followed, new festivals started to appear throughout the country: Porto, Guimarães, Braga, Lisbon, etc.
Among them was Jazz em Agosto, founded in 1984 at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
More than forty years later, Jazz em Agosto remains one of Portugal’s most respected festivals, presenting exciting contemporary jazz artists in the beautiful gardens of the Gulbenkian Foundation.
The History and Identity of Jazz em Agosto
One of the things I find most fascinating about festivals is how they evolve.
It’s often the clearest reflection of how they position themselves in people’s minds.
That evolution is a blend of a combination of factors – location, programming, and the audience they attract.
Jazz em Agosto is a perfect example.
Held every year in the gardens of Lisbon’s Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, it has grown into one of Portugal’s defining contemporary jazz festivals and a leading event on Europe’s jazz festival circuit.
The Jazz em Agosto festival had its first edition in 1984, as an experimental initiative.
Over the years, the event grew in visibility, establishing itself as an “unmissable festival” of national jazz and attracting a specialized audience, including international critics and enthusiasts.
In the following decades, Jazz am Agosto followed the evolution of contemporary jazz and free improvisation, welcoming the next generation of musicians and keeping pace with aesthetic transformations ranging from post-free jazz to fusions with electronics and traditional music.
From its earliest years, Jazz em Agosto has featured big names in the history of jazz and its experimental side, such as Sun Ra and his Arkestra, the Dave Holland Quintet, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago.
Over time, the festival has also hosted major ensembles rarely performed outside their countries of origin, such as the Now Orchestra (Vancouver) with George Lewis and the OrkestROVA from San Francisco performing John Coltrane’s Ascension
It’s also worth mentioning the artistic direction of Jazz em Agosto linked with programmer Rui Neves – a central figure in defining the festival’s identity.
His curatorial approach is usually described as demanding and “visionary”, marked by a commitment to attention to contemporary improvisation, balancing the presence of established musicians with new voices and experimental projects.
Another point to emphasise about it was the EJN Award for Adventurous Programming in 2014, which highlighted Jazz em Agosto as one of the most important European festivals in the field of avant-garde jazz and improvisation.
The Venue
The festival takes place at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, one of Lisbon’s most important cultural institutions.
Its combination of concert halls, gardens, museum and public spaces creates an atmosphere that’s very different from many city festivals.
That slower pace is part of what makes the festival special.
Getting There
The Gulbenkian Foundation is easily accessible from anywhere in Lisbon.
The nearest metro station is São Sebastião, served by both the Blue and Red lines, including the direct connection from Lisbon Airport.
Praça de Espanha station is also just a short walk away.
If you’re travelling specifically for the festival, staying nearby makes getting around incredibly easy.
Jazz em Agosto 2026: Performances Worth Discovering
As always, this year’s programme reflects the festival’s commitment to artistic exploration.
Here are a few performances that I wanted to share with you:
Fred Moten & Brandon Lopez
Fred Moten and Brandon Lopez will explore in Revision the relationship between poetry and improvised jazz with a strong contemporary political dimension.
Anna Webber: Shimmer Wince
One of the defining composers and saxophonists of her generation, she brings her acclaimed quintet – featuring Adam O’Farrill, Mariel Roberts, Elias Stemeseder and Lesley Mok – to the stage.
Pat Thomas
British musician Pat Thomas will present a solo piano concert based on the album Hikmah (2025), a contemplative set between prayer and dream. A regular presence at Jazz em Agosto not to be missed!
Chicago Underground Duo
For more than twenty-five years, Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor have explored the intersection of improvisation, electronics and rhythm. Their work is a reminder that long-term artistic collaboration can continue to evolve without losing its identity.
SML
One of the most exciting younger ensembles on this year’s programme. Their music blends groove, collective improvisation and electric textures into a sound that feels both contemporary and deeply collaborative. Very exciting stuff!
LUME
If you’re visiting Portugal and want to experience the country’s creative jazz scene, don’t miss LUME. The Lisbon-based large ensemble has become an important platform for contemporary Portuguese improvisers and composers.
Final Thoughts
If you’re building your booking strategy in Europe and want to better understand Portugal’s jazz landscape, there’s no better place to start than Jazz em Agosto: an inspiring window into Lisbon’s jazz scene, its artists, its audiences, and the jazz community behind it.
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