Hauts-de

Sad news for jazz lovers and fans of the La Défense Jazz Festival. Due to a lack of funding, this free music festival, held every year at the foot of the Grande Arche in La Défense, will not take place this year.

Well-known and appreciated by the people of Île-de-France, La Défense Jazz Festival will not be setting up at the foot of the Grande Arche this summer. As reported by defense-92.fr and Le Parisien, this musical and summer event in Hauts-de-Seine will be canceled this year due to financial constraints. “We need to save money,” stated Georges Siffredi, president of the Hauts-de-Seine department, on defense-92.fr.

Established in 1992, La Défense Jazz Festival has been a fixture in the famous business district, under the iconic Grande Arche of La Défense for over 30 years. This open-air event has welcomed talented jazz artists during lunchtime and evenings, all free of charge. Last year alone, the festival featured renowned American musician Herbie Hancock, the talented Angélique Kidjo, Zambian rapper-singer Sampa The Great, American jazz reggae band Groundation, the trio from Manchester, GoGo Penguin, and rising UK neo-soul artist Jalen NGonda.

This summer, the jazz music will not resonate at the foot of the Grande Arche of La Défense, disappointing its regular attendees. However, according to Georges Siffredi, the festival is not permanently canceled. As reported by defense-92.fr, the festival will alternate with the Chorus festival. After being canceled in 2025, the Chorus festival returned in April 2026 at La Seine Musicale.

“Our goal is not to stop things, but to adapt based on the resources we have. I hope that by 2028, we can organize both festivals simultaneously again, maybe even by 2027,” explained Georges Siffredi, unless the economic situation of the department worsens.

On the other hand, the national jazz competition of La Défense, held annually as part of the La Défense Jazz Festival, will indeed take place this summer. Serving as a platform for emerging artists, this competition will occur in June at La Seine Musicale.

Residents of Hauts-de-Seine will also be able to enjoy the Garden Parvis event this summer, scheduled from June 18 to July 30 on the parvis of La Défense, featuring several free concerts.