Festival in Focus: Jazz Weekender

Jazz Weekender is a celebration of the improvisational spirit that defines jazz. The third edition, set for 28 and 29 September 2024, promises to bring together artists from the world’s most revered jazz stages and iconic labels, featuring talents like Japan’s Nao Yoshioka, Indonesia’s Thee Marloes and Australia’s Surprise Chef. This year, the festival invites you to cross boundaries and embrace sounds from around the globe, all beneath the embrace of the city’s beloved Banyan tree.

We spoke with the Jazz Weekender team and reflected on the essence of live music: the synergy between artist and audience. Here are some excerpts from a riveting conversation.

How do you envision the role of live music in fostering community and connection among attendees?
Jazz Weekender is ultimately a celebration: of live music and the people who love it. Our first edition took place right after the end of the pandemic and it brought together the whole community of listeners who wanted to enjoy live music, gathering together after a long time. It was heartwarming and it has since set the tone for us. We hope attendees leave with a renewed sense of connection—not just to the music, but to each other. Jazz, with its ability to transcend boundaries and speak a universal language, can inspire us to listen more closely to the world around us, and in doing so, foster greater understanding and empathy.

How do you balance the chaos of live performances with the structured nature of festival planning?
With jazz especially, where improvisation is central, we want to encourage those beautiful moments of spontaneity. The key is to create a framework that supports flexibility. We plan every aspect of the festival rigorously, but we also build in room for the natural fluidity of live performances. In fact, you will find the environment of Jazz Weekender more easy-going and relaxed compared to most other live events, where you can enjoy at your own pace.

Ultimately, the goal is to create an environment where the structured aspects of the festival—like sound quality, stage management, and timing—enhance the live experience without constraining it, so that both the performers and the audience can fully immerse themselves in the magic of the moment.

Jazz has a rich tradition of improvisation. How do you encourage artists to bring their spontaneous flair to the performances during the festival?
Indeed! We have had many great moments of improvisation at Jazz Weekender, from Gino Banks x Rhythm Shaw ripping through their set with virtuosic solos to Triorität getting the crowd dancing to Desmadre Orkesta getting down from the stage into the audience and dancing with them! 

We design the festival’s schedule to give artists ample time on stage, allowing them to stretch out and experiment without feeling rushed. We curate the lineup with a mix of diverse, boundary-pushing musicians who inspire each other. We provide artists with an intimate and welcoming setting where they feel comfortable taking risks. Whether it’s the iconic Banyan tree backdrop or the energy of the engaged crowd, we create an environment that invites spontaneity and fluid expression.

How do you curate the lineup to balance established jazz legends with emerging artists, ensuring a diverse musical experience?
Behind Jazz Weekender, we have the heads at boxout.fm, Wild City and Gatecrash/Jazz In India curating the festival. All of us have been putting up live events in the country for over a decade more or less, in different capacities, of different formats and different genres. It’s an experience that gives us a sense of what works for what audience and how to both entertain them and introduce them to new favourites. Striking that balance while maintaining a diversity of both styles and level of familiarity is at the heart of our curation.

The festival’s location under the iconic Banyan tree symbolises the intertwining of nature and music. What do you hope this connection evokes in attendees?
We love the space 1AQ provides us. Not only does the Banyan tree canopy provide a unique backdrop, where the natural aspect mirrors the organic essence of live jazz, but it also provides an intimate and relaxed atmosphere with a focal point that brings everyone together. Shades of Banyan trees have long been places communities have gathered together. By hosting the performances in this natural setting, we hope to make the experience feel organic and unforced, where the music and environment work together to offer a refreshing escape from the everyday. It’s about creating a space where attendees can enjoy the spontaneity of jazz in a setting that feels calm, open, and inspiring.

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the future of Jazz Weekender? 
This is our most global edition yet with more than 15 nationalities represented. It’s equally diverse in genres even while focused on celebrating live music. We intend to continue this growth as we don’t see any other such events in the music space, where the celebration is on live music, the pure art of it and being able to enjoy it in an easy-going environment.

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