Birštonas Jazz FestivalBirštono džiazo festivalis

The Birštonas Jazz Festival is Lithuania’s oldest international jazz festival, held on the last weekend of March every two years in the spa town of Birštonas 1 2. Founded in 1980 by the Birštonas Culture Centre, it attracts around 3,000 jazz enthusiasts to hear about 20 bands perform over three days 3 4. The program spans traditional to avant-garde jazz, featuring leading Lithuanian and international jazz artists. Each edition includes a Grand Prix award ceremony honoring contributions to Lithuanian jazz history 5.

Jazz music has become a defining feature of Birštonas’s cultural identity (earning it the nickname “Lithuanian jazz mecca”) 1. The biennial festival reflects the town’s long-standing support for the arts and musical innovation. It is also tied to Birštonas as a resort history, providing cultural enrichment to visitors and locals. The festival’s aesthetic motto is “stage is for art,” emphasizing an artist-centric, local-focused atmosphere 2.