The 11th We Jazz Festival will be held in Helsinki from November 23 to 30. The event is expanding with new artists joining the lineup, including The Separatist Party, Olli Ahvenlahti New Quintet, Heli Hartikainen, Joakim Berghäll & Adele Sauros, and AINON performing in children’s concerts. Tickets are now available on Tiketti.
The lineup for the 2024 edition of the We Jazz Festival, known as one of the highlights of the musical year, has been announced. The newest additions to the program include the explosive U.S. collective The Separatist Party (Mike Reed, Ben LaMar Gay, Bitchin Bajas, and Marvin Tate), saxophonist Heli Hartikainen, who has pushed the boundaries of ambient-inspired jazz with the album Chronovariations, Finnish jazz legend Olli Ahvenlahti with his quintet from the Mirror Mirror album, saxophonists Joakim Berghäll and Adele Sauros, who present their "Poems for Peace" duo concept, and AINON, who just released their new album Within on the We Jazz label and will perform at popular children’s concerts.
Previously announced artists include the free jazz super trio David Murray / Ingebrigt Häker Flaten / Paal Nilssen-Love, legendary improvisational music group The Necks, Swedish producer Sven Wunder's live band, which will make one of its first live performances in Helsinki with Reine Fiske of Dungen on guitar, and Finnish top acts like Timo Lassy Trio, Lampen, Oaagaada, and Superposition.
The festival also features beloved traditions like the Salakeikka ("secret gig") concept and the Jazz kiinnostaa radio brunch, broadcast live on Radio Helsinki on Sunday, November 24. For Salakeikka, the venue and performer remain undisclosed until the event, and smartphones are prohibited to create a focused, calm, and "digitally free" environment for immersive presence.
The AINON quartet will headline a children’s concert at Korjaamo on Saturday, November 30, in two performances. This concert continues the popular idea of offering "unfiltered" music to children but in a format and time suitable for younger audiences. Each performance will be broken into shorter segments, and there will be musical activities and opportunities for children to explore instruments and meet the musicians.
We Jazz 2024 will take place across various venues, including new locations like Hobo Hotel Helsinki and Tekniikan Museo, alongside festival classics like Kahvila Sävy, G Livelab Helsinki, and Peloton Cycling Eatery.
The festival’s artistic director, Matti Nives, says: "This year’s festival promises to be incredibly exciting. The program is the strongest and most international so far, reflecting the best of contemporary jazz. We encourage the audience to bring nothing but curiosity and openness. This creates a sense of community, embodying the power of music."
Visitor feedback describes the atmosphere of the We Jazz festival as "mind-opening" and praises its "deep humanity combined with a passion for great music." According to feedback, the festival is "a long-awaited low-barrier urban event" that is "relaxed, open-minded, and on a human scale."
We Jazz 2024
Helsinki, November 23–30
Facebook event
Festival website: wejazz.fi/2024
Tickets: Tiketti
Artists (A–Z)
AINON
Angelika Niescier & Maria Portugal
Berke Can Özcan & Jonah Parzen-Johnson
Black Diamond
divr
Goran Kajfeš Tropiques
Heli Hartikainen: Chronovariations
Jazz kiinnostaa
Joakim Berghäll & Adele Sauros: Poems for Peace
Jonah Parzen-Johnson & Lau Nau
Jules Reidy
Lampen
Murray / Håker Flaten / Nilssen-Love
Nacka Forum
Oaagaada
Olli Ahvenlahti New Quintet
*secret gig*
Superposition 1+2+3+4
Sven Wunder
The Necks
The Separatist Party
Timo Lassy Trio
We Jazz DJs & Friends
Venues
G Livelab Helsinki
Hobo Hotel Helsinki
Kahvila Sävy
Kulttuuritehdas Korjaamo
Peloton Cycling Eatery
Tekniikan Museo
Partners:
Fat Lizard Brewing Co., Hobo Hotel Helsinki, Radio Helsinki, Tekniikan Museo, Sibelius Academy (Uniarts Helsinki)
Supporters:
City of Helsinki, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Music Promotion Centre, Emilie and Rudolf Gesellius Foundation, Arts Promotion Centre Finland, William Thurings Foundation, Yrjö Sirola Foundation