The 63rd edition of Jazzfest Berlin titled Dream Baby Dream, will bring together more than 135 musicians from over 25 countries at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, A-Trane, Quasimodo and Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. The festival presents 24 acts, including four world premieres, two European premieres and five German premieres by artists such as Anthony Braxton, Alexander von Schlippenbach and the Globe Unity Orchestra, Camila Nebbia, Christian Lillinger and Wendy Eisenberg.
Reflecting Berlin’s openness, diversity and spirit of renewal, the festival takes its title from the award-winning short film DREAM BABY DREAM, created during Jazzfest Berlin 2025 with 60 participants. Exploring belonging, utopia, dreams and trauma, the film not only lends its name to this year’s edition but will also open the festival on the Main Stage.
For more than six decades, Jazzfest Berlin has served as a meeting place between tradition and the future, local perspectives and global experiences. This dialogue is embodied by Berlin-based artists Camila Nebbia, Mariá Portugal and ganavya, whose work moves fluidly between continents, scenes and musical languages.
A major highlight is the return of Anthony Braxton. Fifty years after his first appearance at Berliner Jazztage and following his acclaimed “Sonic Genome” project in Berlin, the pioneering composer and multi-instrumentalist returns with a new septet.
The programme also features leading voices of the international creative music scene, including the CHICAGO UNDERGROUND Duo, Tomeka Reid Quartet, Twin Talk, Ches Smith’s Clone Row, Graewe / Jones / Drake and the Immanuel Wilkins Quartet. Christian Lillinger presents the world premiere of Open Form For Society II, while Matthias Muche’s orchestra BONECRUSHER gathers ten trombones at Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.
The human voice takes centre stage in performances by Karoline Wallace, Alejandra Charry, Wendy Eisenberg and Amir ElSaffar. The festival also welcomes artists from the UK, Scandinavia, Japan and Iran, including Alexander Hawkins, Laura Jurd, Elin Forkelid, (Exit) Knarr, Otomo Yoshihide and Shabnam Parvaresh.
The festival concludes with a Berlin legend: Alexander von Schlippenbach and the Globe Unity Orchestra. Bringing together more than 200 participants of different generations and backgrounds, the closing project celebrates the artistic diversity, cosmopolitanism and innovative spirit that have defined jazz for decades: Dream Baby Dream!
