Harmony, Justice, and the Sound of a Changing World
Rome is about to swing, groove, and meditate on the music of the universe.
From November 1 to 23, the Roma Jazz Festival returns for its 49th edition, across Auditorium Parco della Musica “Ennio Morricone,” Casa del Jazz, and Monk, bringing together some of the world’s most exciting artists, from jazz legends to fearless new innovators. This year’s theme, inspired by the words of Martin Luther King Jr. and John Coltrane, sets the tone for a program that explores music as a spiritual journey and a call for harmony and justice in turbulent times.
As artistic director Mario Ciampà puts it: “True peace is not merely the absence of war, but the presence of justice and the harmony of the soul with the universe.”
Roma Jazz Festival is one of the most important European festivals that, for nearly half a century, has brought not only the historic great names of the international scene to Rome but also, with tireless curiosity and sensitivity, those representatives of the new generations who continue to innovate a genre of music that is by its nature boundless.
INSPIRATION
The Best Events in November in Rome
A Soundtrack for the Soul
The festival kicks off at the Auditorium Parco della Musica on November 1 with Chicago’s Makaya McCraven, one of today’s most innovative drummers and producers. His genre-bending “organic beat music” blends jazz, hip-hop, and world rhythms—think Coltrane meeting Flying Lotus.
From there, the lineup unfolds like a world map of jazz in 23 days. David Murray, a towering figure of the saxophone, performs with his energetic new quartet (Nov 2), followed by Joe Sanders and his project Parallels (Nov 4), a lush exploration of groove, identity, and movement.
Bilal, the genre-defying soul visionary who’s worked with Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Kendrick Lamar, brings his powerhouse vocals to the stage on Nov 5, promising a set that’s equal parts spiritual and electrifying.
Where Jazz Meets Storytelling
The festival also reaches beyond pure music. On Nov 3, celebrated Italian writer Gianrico Carofiglio joins saxophonist Piero Delle Monache for “Il potere della gentilezza in jazz” — a poetic conversation between literature, sound, and civic reflection on the radical strength of kindness.
Later in the month (Nov 20), another literary tribute takes shape: “Andrea Camilleri in Jazz”, performed by Paolo Damiani and Rosario Giuliani, honoring the beloved Sicilian author in his centenary year.
A Global Conversation in Sound
Across its venues—the Auditorium, Casa del Jazz, and even the Abbazia di Fossanova, a breathtaking 13th-century monastery in Priverno—the festival becomes a meeting place for cultures. Nigerian-born London saxophonist Camilla George (Nov 7) weaves Afrobeat and British jazz; Brazilian pianist Amaro Freitas (Nov 8) explores rhythm and spirituality through a decolonial lens; while the Peter Erskine Dr. Um Band (Nov 9) gathers five legends in a celebration of fusion and freedom.
There’s also Alina Bzhezhinska and Tony Kofi (Nov 12), honoring Alice Coltrane with harp, sax, and soul; Sade Mangiaracina and Gianluca Petrella (Nov 13), mixing jazz and electronic landscapes; and the young Turkish prodigy Hakan Basar (Nov 14) bringing fresh Mediterranean flair to the piano.
Sacred Spaces, New Generations
One of the festival’s most special moments happens Nov 9 at the Abbazia di Fossanova, where Giovanni Guidi and the Priverno Jazz Orchestra perform Il Cantico delle Creature, celebrating 800 years of St. Francis’ timeless hymn to nature and peace.
For the youngest listeners, Fiabe Jazz returns—bringing classic fairytales like Aladdin and the Genie of Music (Nov 2) and Little Red Riding Hood (Nov 8) to life through rhythm, play, and improvisation.
A Grand Finale
The closing concert (Nov 23) promises goosebumps: Cécile McLorin Salvant, one of the most spellbinding vocalists alive, will take the stage at the Auditorium’s Sala Sinopoli. Her performances—part concert, part theatre—trace stories of diaspora, identity, and resilience through jazz, blues, and baroque textures.
Jazz as Justice, Jazz as Joy
Produced by IMF Foundation in collaboration with Fondazione Musica per Roma, and supported by Roma Capitale and the Ministry of Culture, the Roma Jazz Festival remains one of Europe’s most visionary and enduring celebrations of the art form.
It’s not just a festival, it’s a conversation about who we are, what we believe in, and how sound can still make sense of the world.
So, whether you’re a lifelong jazz devotee or just looking for a November night that stirs your soul, this is where to be.
INSPIRATION
Rome’s Live Music Concerts In November
2025 ROMA JAZZ FESTIVAL PROGRAM
1 November
Auditorium Parco della Musica – Sala Petrassi at 9:00 PM
MAKAYA MCCRAVEN
2 November
Auditorium Parco della Musica – Sala Petrassi at 6:00 PM
DAVID MURRAY QUARTET
2 November
Auditorium Parco della Musica – Sala Petrassi at 11:00 AM
FIABE JAZZ – ALADDIN AND THE GENIUS OF MUSIC
3 November
Auditorium Parco della Musica – Sala Sinopoli at 9:00 PM
GIANRICO CAROFIGLIO – THE POWER OF KINDNESS IN JAZZ
4 November
Auditorium Parco della Musica – Sala Petrassi at 9:00 PM
JOE SANDERS “PARALLELS”
5 November
Auditorium Parco della Musica – Teatro Studio Borgna at 9:00 PM
BILAL
7 November
Auditorium Parco della Musica – Sala Petrassi at 9:00 PM
CAMILLA GEORGE
8 November
Auditorium Parco della Musica – Teatro Studio Borgna at 11:00 AM
FIABE JAZZ – LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
8 November
Auditorium Parco della Musica – Teatro Studio Borgna at 9:00 PM
AMARO FREITAS
9 November
Abbazia di Fossanova (Priverno) at 6:00 PM
GIOVANNI GUIDI/PRIVERNO JAZZ ORCHESTRA – THE CANTICLE OF THE CREATURES
9 November
Auditorium Parco della Musica – Sala Sinopoli at 6:00 PM
PETER ERSKINE DR.UM BAND
10 November
Auditorium Parco della Musica – Teatro Studio Borgna at 9:00 PM
JEMMA COLLECTIVE
11 November
Casa del Jazz at 9:00 PM
DOCK IN ABSOLUTE
12 November
Auditorium Parco della Musica – Teatro Studio Borgna at 9:00 PM
ALINA BZHEZHINSKA & TONY KOFI FEAT. BRIAN JACKSON – CELEBRATING ALICE COLTRANE
13 November
Auditorium Parco della Musica – Teatro Studio Borgna at 9:00 PM
SADE MANGIARACINA/BONNOT/FEATURING GIANLUCA PETRELLA
14 November
Casa del Jazz at 9:00 PM
HAKAN BASAR TRIO
15 November
Casa del Jazz at 9:00 PM
ADRIEN BRANDEIS
20 November
Casa del Jazz at 7:30 PM
CAMILLIERI IN JAZZ – BARBARA BOVOLI/PAOLO DAMIANI/ROSARIO GIULIANI
21 November
Casa del Jazz at 9:00 PM
GILAD ATZMON EUROPEAN QUARTET
22 November
Casa del Jazz at 9:00 PM
BERNHARD WIESINGER
23 November
Auditorium Parco della Musica – Sala Sinopoli at 6:00 PM
CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT
INSPIRATION
Top Jazz Live Music Bars in Rome
November 1 – 23, 2025
Venues
Auditorium Parco della Musica
Viale Pietro de Coubertin
Monk Club
Via Giuseppe Mirri, 35
Casa del Jazz
Villa Osio, Viale di Porta Ardeatina, 55
