jazz in Rotterdam: a new season of jazz concerts and encounters at de Doelen
Jazz in Rotterdam: de Doelen as a home for jazz concerts
Jazz in Rotterdam and concert hall de Doelen have been inseparable for decades. Since the 1960s, our stage has been open to international jazz legends as well as the vibrant Rotterdam jazz scene. Legendary jazz concerts with icons like Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Sarah Vaughan made history and turned de Doelen Rotterdam into a home for jazz lovers from all around the world.
International Jazz Season 2025: From Swing to Improvisation
This season, we proudly build on that legacy. Here, the rich history of jazz music meets the innovation of contemporary jazz: from captivating swing to daring jazz improvisations, from deep jazz roots to unexpected influences from Arabic music and other cultures. International jazz artists share the stage with emerging new jazz musicians, while audiences are continuously surprised by the energy, freedom, and creativity of this dynamic genre.
For all jazz enthusiasts in Rotterdam and beyond, we’ve selected a few must-see jazz concerts and top performances at de Doelen to look forward to.
Jazz concerts in de Doelen: highlights of this season
Alessandro Fongaro’s Pietre – experimental jazz in Rotterdam
Pietre (‘stones’ in Italian) is the chord-less quartet led by bassist Alessandro Fongaro, known for his work with Sun-Mi Hong, Ambergris, and Brainteaser Orchestra. Pietre is a scream to live again, to love again. As if recovering from an emergency stop, the music stutters, crashes, and pushes itself forward, imbued with stories about love and friendship that are expressed in intensity, sensitivity, and vulnerability. The two saxophonists show an impressive range, supported by a close collaboration between double bass and drums.
Friday 26 September 2025 | 20:30 | Eduard Flipse Zaal
get tickets for Alessandro Fongaro at de Doelen
Dhafer Youssef – international jazz and world music at de Doelen
Dhafer Youssef is a pioneer who has connected Middle Eastern music with the global jazz and world music scene. His oud playing is both technically brilliant and deeply emotional, effortlessly combining tradition and innovation in a unique musical experience.
Saturday 4 October 2025 | 20:30 | Grote Zaal
tickets Dhafer Youssef live in Rotterdam
Marysia Osu – new jazz voice live in Rotterdam
As a classically trained artist with a desire for aesthetic independence, Marysia Osu is working on her own powerful form of freedom music. With improvisations that brush against jazz, she is part of the Brownswood Recordings circle – one of our favorite labels – which will release her new album ‘Harp, Beats & Dreams’ on 18 October.
Friday 10 October 2025 | 20:30 | Eduard Flipse Zaal
book your seat for Marysia Osu in Rotterdam
KNEEBODY – genre-defying jazz collective live at de Doelen Rotterdam
Kneebody is a genre-transcending quartet from Los Angeles that since 2001 has taken a completely unique place in the contemporary music world. Their sound is a powerful mix of the energy of rock, the complexity of chamber music, and the freedom of jazz improvisation. With roots in both the classical tradition and the underground scene, Kneebody forms a collective in which experiment and precision come together seamlessly.
Wednesday 29 October 2025 | 20:30 | Jurriaanse Zaal
buy tickets for Kneebody live at de Doelen
Riley Mulherkar Quartet – modern jazz concert in Rotterdam
Riley, his first recorded salvo as a soloist, is the sonically modern setting for Mulherkar’s vulnerable, melodic interpretation of the rich tradition with sound design shaped by producers Rafiq Bhatia and Chris Pattishall. Bhatia and Pattishall surround Mulherkar in a series of structured, intricately designed spaces and focus the lens of a cinematographer on the continuum of great old songs and new Mulherkar pieces that fit right in. Described as “über hip, modern and yet timeless” (Downbeat), it is a radically bold sound drama.
Thursday 6 November 2025 | 20:30 | Eduard Flipse Zaal
get tickets for Riley Mulherkar Quartet in Rotterdam
Les Égarés – boundary-pushing jazz and world music in de Doelen
Les Égarés is not just an album, it is a lively musical experiment and a poetic journey made by four masterful musicians: Ballaké Sissoko (kora), Vincent Segal (cello), Vincent Peirani (accordion), and Émile Parisien (saxophone). These artists, long known for transcending genres, melt their talents together in a seamless, ego-free collaboration that defies categorization. The result is a flowing, genre-transcending sound that draws from jazz, classical, traditional, and avant-garde influences.
Thursday 27 November 2025 | 20:30 | Willem Burger Zaal
tickets Les Égarés world jazz at de Doelen
Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw ft. Camille Thurman & Tyreek McDole conducted by John Clayton – Christmas Jazz Special in Rotterdam
Go swing into the holidays with the most beautiful jazz classics with a nod to Christmas! The renowned Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw brings, under the direction of none other than Grammy-winning composer and double bassist John Clayton, a heartwarming concert with two American rising stars. Saxophonist & vocalist Camille Thurman has already toured with the world-famous Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Expect ‘Christmas Jazz at its finest’ by artists who know their craft!
Saturday 13 December 2025 | 20:30 | Jurriaanse Zaal
