Escaldes-Engordany International Jazz Festival: a guide

What the Escaldes-Engordany International Jazz Festival is

The Escaldes-Engordany International Jazz Festival is Andorra’s big jazz event. It takes place every summer in this parish, which also organises it, and it mixes international names with free concerts in the street. If you enjoy jazz and want to combine it with a few days in the mountains, you can stay at Hotel Grau Roig, which appears in the MICHELIN Guide, and head down to Escaldes for the concerts.

From 1985 to today

The festival began in 1985, founded by a group of young people from the parish. Over almost two decades, Escaldes welcomed names such as Miles Davis, Ray Charles, B.B. King, George Benson, Pat Metheny, Dianne Reeves, Michel Camilo, Paquito D’Rivera and Joshua Redman. The last edition of that first era was in 2004. A long break followed, until the festival was revived in 2022.

Since then, audiences have grown. The 2026 edition, the 42nd, drew 6,400 people: 6.7% more than in 2025 and 44% more than in 2022, according to figures published in the Andorran press after the festival.

Why it is worth going

There are two strong reasons. The first is scale: the main concerts take place at the Sala Prat del Roure, with an average of just over 500 people per concert in 2026, so you see leading artists up close. The second is that a good part of the programme is free and happens right out in the street, which means you can discover the festival without buying a single ticket.

Dates and programme of the Escaldes-Engordany Jazz Festival

The festival takes place in early July and lasts about a week. The last three editions have fallen on very similar dates: 4 to 11 July in 2024, 3 to 10 July in 2025 and 2 to 9 July in 2026. Dates and line-up change every year, so check the official festival listing before planning your trip.

The 2026 line-up

To give you an idea of the standard, this was the programme for the 42nd edition:

• Nils Landgren Funk Unit, who opened the programme on 2 July.
• Joshua Redman Quartet, on 3 July. Redman had already played the festival during its first era.
• Paquito D’Rivera with Anat Cohen, on 4 July. He had been announced alongside Chucho Valdés, but Valdés fell ill and Cohen took his place with her American band.
• Sixun and Lizz Wright, on 5 July, in a Sunday double bill.
• Maria Schneider with the Clasijazz Orchestra and Antonio Lizana, in a free concert.
• Porgy & Bess Pirinenca, an Andorran reinterpretation of Gershwin’s work, as the closing event on 9 July.

Émile Londonien Trio and Pol Omedes & Strings also played. Paquito D’Rivera, Maria Schneider and Porgy & Bess all sold out, which is worth bearing in mind if you have your heart set on a particular concert.

Recent editions

Earlier line-ups help you understand what to expect. In 2025 the performers included Erik Truffaz, Marcus Miller, Cécile McLorin Salvant and the duo of Michel Camilo and Tomatito. In 2024, the 40th edition, Richard Galliano, Kyle Eastwood, Andrea Motis and Toquinho all appeared. In other words, jazz in the broad sense, with room for funk, tango, flamenco and Brazilian music.

Festival venues and activities

The festival has several strands, and each one works differently. It helps to know them so you can put together your own programme.

Jazz at the Sala Prat del Roure

The Sala Prat del Roure hosts the main ticketed concerts. In 2025 they began at 9 pm, and at 8 pm on the Sunday, although times can vary from one edition to the next. In 2026, the five ticketed concerts brought in a total of 2,613 people.

Jazz al Carrer

Plaça Coprínceps becomes the festival’s free stage. Jazz al Carrer features local and international groups, chosen in 2026 by the Andorran musician Kic Barroc, and needs no booking. It is the most open part of the festival and the one that fills the parish with atmosphere: in 2026 it drew 2,140 people.

Andorra Jams

If you like a late night, the jam sessions are for you. They take place after the main concerts at the Sala Prat del Roure itself, with Kic Barroc and his quartet plus guest musicians. In 2026, 604 people came along.

Més Jazz, cinema and more

The Més Jazz series extends the programme over the final days, with 831 people attending in 2026. That year also saw the first film series, with two documentaries: The Sax Life, about Paquito D’Rivera, and Köln 75, about Keith Jarrett’s famous concert. For 2027, the organisers want to bring back an educational concert for children, like those of the early years.

How to get there and where to stay during the festival

Getting to Escaldes-Engordany

The venues are concentrated in the centre of the parish. Plaça Coprínceps is right next to Caldea, and the Sala Prat del Roure is about a five-minute walk from the thermal centre, so once you are there you can get between concerts on foot.

From Grau Roig you will need to drive down to Escaldes-Engordany. Keep this in mind when planning: concerts finish late and the way back is on a mountain road.

Staying at Hotel Grau Roig

Hotel Grau Roig is in the Grandvalira ski area, in the Grau Roig sector, with 42 rooms across the Auténtica, Superior, Romántica, Junior Suite and Suite Deluxe categories. It suits anyone who prefers to sleep in the mountains and spend the day doing something else before heading down to the concert.

In the morning and afternoon you have the hotel spa, free for guests, and several places to eat: La Vaquería, El Teatro del Vino, La Marmita, La Fromagerie and Secret Room, along with the Copper Bar and the Summer Lounge. The wine cellar holds more than 300 labels.

What to do during the rest of the day

July is a good time for the mountains. The summer activities listed on the hotel’s website include hiking, climbing, via ferrata, horse riding, helicopter flights, rafting, golf and 4×4 and quad routes, all subject to confirmation with the hotel. You could start with these hiking routes in Andorra.

If you would rather stay in Escaldes before the concert, take the chance to visit the church of Sant Pere Màrtir, the Escaldes-Engordany Art Centre or Avinguda Carlemany, a good place to go shopping.

Tips for making the most of the festival

Buy your tickets early

Several concerts sold out in 2026, and pass sales reached their highest figure since the festival’s revival, with 199 sold. Tickets are sold online, on the parish website (e-e.ad), and at sales points such as the Illa Carlemany information point and the Tourist Office.

Consider the pass

Prices vary every year. In 2026, individual tickets started at €25 and the five-concert pass cost €65, with a discount for Carnet Jove holders. If you are going to several concerts, it normally pays for itself.

Book your accommodation early

The festival coincides with the summer season in Andorra, so it is best to confirm your stay once the line-up is out and you have decided which nights you want to head down to Escaldes.

Do not miss the free programme

Even if you have a ticket for the concert hall, set aside an evening for Plaça Coprínceps. Jazz al Carrer concerts usually take place before the main ones, so you can enjoy both without rushing.

If you come to Andorra in winter

The festival belongs to July, but winter is the high season in Grau Roig. The hotel is ten metres from the Grandvalira lifts, so you can start skiing almost from the door and, on a rest day, still head down to Escaldes to visit Caldea and see the art centre. As for the jazz, make a note of next July’s dates.