More stages than ever and therefore more music than ever. It is inevitable that the 50th edition of Breda Jazz Festival will be a great party during the Ascension weekend. Not only in the city center, because for the first time during the four days of festival there is also live music outside the canals. “We are trying out new things and that is quite exciting,” says outgoing chairman Bart Wouters.
There is hammering, lugging and drilling. In Breda’s city center they have been working hard all week to prepare the various open-air stages for the jazz festival. Not only in the usual places, because there is substantial expansion. The cheerful sounds of jazz and related music can also be heard outside the city center during the anniversary edition.
“If the fear of the masses is gone, it can just go wild.”
In addition to the many well-known places that have been in service for years, there are two new stages at the Haven. In addition, during Breda Jazz there is now also live music at the Doctor Jan Ingen Houszplein, the T-Huis in the Valkenberg, Baai aan de Markkade and the Central Station/Willemstraat.
“We had been looking for expansion for a while because it can be very busy in the city center,” explains chairman Bart Wouters of Breda Jazz Festival. “In addition, Breda has many other places where something beautiful can happen. See it as a piece of innovation where we also spread the visitors better.”
The Breda Jazz foundation is also going to try out some new things when it comes to music and acts. It’s no longer just jazz that matters. “That’s fun and cool, but also a bit exciting.”
“Breda Jazz has become more professional and is in better financial shape than ever.”
“In any case, we expect tens of thousands of visitors every day,” continues Wouters, who is also a musician himself. “Although I do not dare to predict how it will go exactly. After two years of no festival due to the corona crisis, it is difficult to estimate. The foreign artists are all coming, but we do not know what the foreign visitors are doing. a bit afraid of the masses. But when that fear is gone, it can also just go completely wild.”
After fourteen years Bart Wouters says goodbye as a volunteer of Breda Jazz. On Sunday evening, when the music party is over, he passes the gavel to Hanneke Griffioen. Wouters says goodbye with peace of mind.
“It’s time for fresh blood,” he says. “But my farewell still gives me mixed feelings. It is fun to do and we are doing well with all employees. We have become more professional, have more stages, a larger program and we are in better financial shape than ever. It will be a very nice festival again and I am proud of that!”
Every day during Breda Jazz, the talk show Jazztalk can be seen online at Omroep Brabant. It can be seen on the Omroep Brabant app and site from 9.30 pm. Jazztalk can also be seen on television on Thursday 26 May.