European Jazz Conference
25 - 28 September 2025
The next European Jazz Conference will take place from 25 to 28 September 2025 in Bari, Italy. The conference is co-organized by Europe Jazz Network and EJN member Puglia Sounds.
The title of the 2025 conference is ‘Somewhere Called Home’. Talks and meetings will focus on the positive contribution that migrants – and global movements of people – play in the development of culture and diversity, also stressing the vital role that culture must play in tackling the present societal challenges.
We’re happy to announce that inJazz is also present and has helped in putting together a few of the programme items. We have representatives from Amsterdam-based Orchestre Partout and from Jazz International Rotterdam / RAUW speaking and moderating. Read more about the panel discussion, the working groups, and the speed meetings below.
Europe Jazz Network is a nonprofit Europe-wide association of producers, presenters and supporting organisations who specialize in creative music, contemporary jazz and improvised music created from a distinctly European perspective. Buma Cultuur/inJazz is one of its members. As of 2024, inJazz’s Mark van Schaick is a board member of EJN.
Friday 26 September
Saturday 27 September
11th European Jazz Conference: Somewhere Called Home
A port city at the heart of the Mediterranean, Bari has a long history of hosting and welcoming individuals, demonstrating hospitality and solidarity during various periods of migration. As a gateway to Europe, the city has received refugees from diverse regions, showcasing the openness and generosity of its local community. This unique cultural and historical context makes Bari an ideal location for addressing the theme of this year’s conference: the positive contribution that migrants – and global movements of people – have played in the development of culture and diversity, and the vital role that culture must play in tackling the present societal challenges. The conference’s title, “Somewhere Called Home”, inspired by Norma Winstone’s 1987 ECM album, captures this theme, reflecting the universal search for belonging, and the profound connections that music can create.
The theme for the 2025 edition highlights the transformative potential of cultural initiatives in addressing pressing global challenges. It aims to inspire action, reaffirm our shared human values, and demonstrate how arts and culture can foster inclusion, solidarity, and resilience within diverse societies. Creative music – and jazz in particular – offers a powerful example of how we can build thriving communities based on our shared values, while helping us understand and navigate the complex dynamics now present in Europe, and the world at large.