The July festival in the squares
Every year in July, for about ten days, Perugia becomes one of the world capitals of jazz with Umbria Jazz, one of the most important and famous jazz festivals in Europe. Born in 1973 as a free itinerant festival in the squares of several Umbrian towns, it has since become an international event that brings to Perugia the greatest names of jazz and also of blues, soul, funk and pop music: over the decades, artists such as Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Dizzy Gillespie, Keith Jarrett, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King, Pat Metheny, Wynton Marsalis, as well as pop and rock stars, have performed here.
The great evening concerts are held in the Arena Santa Giuliana, a large open-air venue at the foot of the historic centre, and in the theatres of the city, such as the historic Teatro Morlacchi, but the real magic of the festival is the atmosphere in the streets: throughout the day and until late at night, the squares and streets of the historic centre, from Corso Vannucci to Piazza IV Novembre, host free concerts, with jazz bands, street parades, gospel choirs and New Orleans brass bands marching among the crowds, and the city is filled with music, people of all ages and nationalities, and a festive air. In winter, between the end of December and the beginning of January, the festival has a second edition, Umbria Jazz Winter, held in Orvieto, in the theatres, churches and palaces of the town, with a special New Year's Eve programme.
Tip: book accommodation well in advance for July; many of the most enjoyable concerts are the free ones in the squares.
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