The PAST

The first jazz festival that ever took place in Hong Kong back in 1987 was imported from Japan, as sponsored by the tobacco company Mild Seven - SELECT Live Under The Sky, Hong Kong. This series originated from Japan in the early 80’s till 1992 when Japan slipped into an economic downturn. The Festival had a 5 years’ life span in Hong Kong and was a fashionable event among the celebrities and movie stars at that time. Besides captivating 2-3,000 audience every year at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, it had great impact on local musicians.

In 1994, the ‘Hong Kong International Jazz And Blues Festival’ sprang out with a 2 days’ event in Hong Kong, as presented and organized by the then Hong Kong Jazz Club. Owing to commercial failure and lack of sponsors, the festival became a one–off event.

After 2000, The FCC (Foreign Correspondence Club) had run a jazz festival at their premises on and off for some years, and the restaurant Grappa in Central also had their small-scale festival once or twice featuring mainly local artists.

Staging a world class jazz festival has always been a dream for Hong Kong Jazz Association (HKJA). As the Association grows bigger day by day, it first tested the water in 2005 in staging a 3 days’ event at the Fringe Club and the Hong Kong Park, and the ‘Hong Kong Jazz Festival 2005’ which had gathered more than 10,000 audience under the theme ‘Asian Swing’ featuring mainly Asian groups.

In 2008, Hong Kong Jazz Association (HKJA) first launched the Hong Kong International Jazz Festival (HKIJF) (i.e. a 7 days’ programme including four major performances at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium) under the support from private investors. The format of one open air free concert, along with club shows and major performances in traditional concert hall, has lasted for 3 years and nurtured followers among local patrons and aficionados. It has now developed into a major music event in Hong Kong and gained international recognition.

The PRESENT

After years of effort, Hong Kong International Jazz Festival had become one of the significant international events. The production, size and line up of the Hong Kong International Jazz Festival made a breakthrough in history in Hong Kong. This year, the Festival will be held from 7 October to 12 October. With the full support from our main sponsor, Pizza Express, renowned jazz musicians from the United States, Australia, Japan, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Brazil, Serbia and Croatia, alongside with the young generation in Beijing and representatives of local elites will be featuring concerts at various stages to create an unparalleled experience for our audiences. 

The theme of the Hong Kong International Jazz Festival 2012 is ‘Re-discovery  - Jazz into the future’. The featuring artists carry on with the spirit of jazz, in being innovative, explorative and most of all, creative, bringing today jazz to a more diverse level.  The audiences will witness the regenerative and transformative power of music. In addition, the audiences have the opportunity to participate in the music with renowned jazz musicians in the workshops.

A total of thirteen performances with well-known jazz musicians from more than twelve countries will bring such world-class music performances to local jazz lovers.