April Jazz Festival in Espoo, which will run for three weeks in April, will be held from 14 to 30 April 2022. The headliners of the 36th festival have been released.
The concerts of the Espoo Cultural Center will feature fado's biggest world star Mariza, multiple Grammy-winning Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and the six-member a cappella band Accent. The festival ends on the eve of May Day with a concert by singer Maria Ylipää and the Tapiola Sinfonietta. The Swedish band Dirty Loops, which is coming to Finland for the first time, will perform at Kulttuuritehdas Korjaamo in Helsinki.
The festival starts at the Revontuli Hall, where the co-production Silentopia by April Jazz, Espoo City Theater and Sivuun Ensemble will have its premiere.
Sello Hall program will be built around the Big Band Boost! camp for youth bands. Espoo Big Band and UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra are guiding the participants. During the same weekend there are events also at the renovated Tapiola Church and the Espoo Museum of Modern Art EMMA. The final festival week’s concerts are held at the Espoo Cultural Centre. The festival will also visit Helsinki and Tampere with one concert in each city.
April Jazz is one of the largest jazz festivals in Finland and has been held in Espoo every year since 1987. The event is organized by Espoo Big Band ry.