The Jazztopad Festival returns to Wrocław’s National Forum of Music (NFM) in November 2027, typically running across ten days in the second half of the month. The 2026 edition ran 13–22 November; the 2027 programme will be announced by the NFM in spring 2027 through the official festival website.
Jazztopad is not a mainstream jazz festival. Its identity is built around world premieres of newly commissioned works, experimental collaborations between European and American jazz musicians, and programming that treats jazz as a living compositional tradition rather than a nostalgic form. It is consistently rated among the top jazz events in Europe by specialist press.
The Venue: National Forum of Music
The NFM (Narodowe Forum Muzyki) opened in 2015 and is one of the most acoustically sophisticated concert halls in Central Europe. Its main auditorium seats over 1,800 and was designed specifically for orchestral and chamber performance. For Jazztopad, the NFM’s combination of acoustic flexibility and programming ambition makes it an ideal partner - the festival uses both the main hall and the smaller chamber spaces for different programme formats.
The NFM is located at plac Wolności 1 in central Wrocław, a short walk from the Old Town Market Square.
What the Festival Offers
Jazztopad programmes typically include:
- World premieres of works commissioned by the festival, often involving collaborations between Polish and international jazz figures
- Extended ensemble performances - the festival is known for large group projects rather than the standard quartet or quintet format
- Master classes and open rehearsals for music students, held alongside the main programme
- Documentary screenings and talks in a late-afternoon format before evening concerts
Recent editions have featured artists from the United States, Norway, France, Germany, the UK, and Poland - the programming reflects an international network built up since the festival’s founding in 2005.
Tickets and Booking
Tickets go on sale through the NFM website (nfm.wroclaw.pl/en) typically in September or October, two to three months before the festival opens. Individual concert tickets are available as well as multi-event passes. The NFM’s online booking system handles international credit cards.
Prices vary by concert format - main auditorium events typically PLN 80–180 (approximately €18–42 as of 2025), with reduced rates for students.
Combining with a Wrocław Trip
November is one of the quieter months for tourism in Wrocław, which makes it an attractive time to visit the city itself without summer crowds. Wrocław’s Old Town - one of the best-preserved Gothic and Baroque city centres in Poland - is compact and walkable. The Christmas Market (usually opening in late November or early December) may overlap with the festival’s closing days.
Wrocław tours and guided activities cover the Old Town, the Panorama of the Battle of Racławice, and the city’s network of bridges and gnomy (dwarfs) scattered across the urban landscape. Our Wrocław city guide has details on getting there, accommodation, and what to do across the city.
For planning a November visit more broadly, our guide to visiting Poland in November covers the season’s events, what to expect from the weather, and how to approach a late-autumn Poland trip.