Havana International Jazz Festival

The Havana International Jazz Festival, organised by Chucho Valdés, is an internationally renowned event, consistently attracting an excellent line-up, with gigs at various venues around the city. 

Cuban music has enjoyed a worldwide boost in popularity, in part due to the contemporary success of the Buena Vista Social Club. The Cuban music style ‘son’ was actually a precursor to the salsa style and a lot of excellent Latin jazz emanates from this island. This makes Havana a really authentic location for a jazz festival, with its rich musical heritage and unique atmosphere. The Hotel Riviera acts as the festival headquarters, whilst the Casa de la Cultura Plaza and the Teatro Nacional also host some of the performances.