Inspired by Bozcaada, the Bozcaada Jazz Festival, which began in 2017, will bring music lovers together on the island for the tenth time on September 4-5-6, 2026. With the contributions of the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), Paribu as the main sponsor, and Kendine Has, Volkswagen, Brothers, Tchibo, and Gemini as sponsors, and with the support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the French Cultural Center, Etstur, and Caudalie, this year’s festival, themed “Impermanence,” invites participants to discover the value of the moment together.
What began as a musical event ten years ago has today transformed into a collective memory space integrated into the fabric of the island. Every September, we come together with thousands of participants in the improvisation of music, in the winds of the island, on the threshold of new ideas and encounters.
This year’s theme: Transience
Heraclitus said you can’t step into the same river twice; the nature of jazz whispers the same truth to us. No matter how many times the same piece is played on stage, no performance is ever the same as the last. The notes hang in the air for a while, then disappear. What makes that note so precious is that it will never be heard the same way again. On a milestone like the tenth anniversary, the instinct might have been to plant a flag. But this September, the festival is calling everyone to Bozcaada not to mark something permanent, but to savor the fleeting, saying: “We are here now, and it is beautiful!”
Three scenes, exploration locations and surprise areas.
For its 10th anniversary, the festival boasts a program spanning three different music scenes, “Discovery” venues, and surprise areas. From jazz to electronic, traditional to contemporary, improvisation to psychedelic; music freely traversing genres is brought to the island. The festival invites you to celebrate its 10th anniversary with musicians from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Türkiye.
Çağıl Kaya • Korhan Futacı “BCF10” • Photons (FR) • 10th Year Jam Session Hosted by Tolga Böyük (Islandman) ft. Suzan Veneman • Too Tight • Danae Palaka • Gevende • Imajiner Zet: Selçuk Ergen & Cem Malak & Cem Aksel • Mackwood (UK) • Sista Sound Presents: Da Sistas | Roots, Jazz, Reggae • Bova Presents: 3Pillie • Kuş Kolektifi • Pınar Tatlıkazan Quartet (DE) • 10th Year Jam Session Hosted by Önder Focan • Childplay • Gülnihal • Hemi • Kaan Düzarat • Memo Garan • Emir Üründül • Jamie S • Ögem Yılmaz • 10. Yıl Dansı: Salih Saka • Bayram Özcan • Bdnoise • Ezgi
The visual world of the festival, realized in collaboration with Monroe, features designs by Gamze Yalçın for its 10th anniversary. The Madrid-based artist will be in Bozcaada during the festival dates, sharing the world she created, inspired by the festival’s theme, with participants and islanders through workshops.
While the heart of the festival beats once again at the main stage in Ayazma Monastery, Habbele Beach hosts electronic sounds along the seafront from day to sunset. The Salhane Stage, with its free audience participation, welcomes listeners throughout the day with its “radar” identity, providing space for new sounds. The festival also spreads across the island with its various Discovery venues.
The “Discovery” program, centered around the theme of “transience,” extends across the island throughout the festival with panels, workshops, island walks, and special projects. The tenth-anniversary selection includes conversations on island life, viticulture, entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, and cultural policy; music and ceramics workshops; jazz talks; performances; and birdwatching events.
Friday, September 4
ÇAĞIL KAYA • KORHAN FUTACI “BCF10” • PHOTONS (FR) • 10TH YEAR JAM SESSION HOSTED BY TOLGA BÖYÜK (ISLANDMAN) FT. SUZAN VENEMAN • TOO TIGHT EMİR ÜRÜNDÜL • JAMIE S • MEMO GARAN • ÖGEM YILMAZ
Saturday, September 5
DANAE PALAKA • GEVENDE • IMAJINER ZET: SELÇUK ERGEN & CEM MALAK & CEM AKSEL • MACKWOOD (UK) • SISTA SOUND PRESENTS: DA SISTAS | ROOTS, JAZZ, REGGAE 10TH ANNIVERSARY DANCE: SALİH SAKA • CHILDPLAY • GÜLNİHAL • HEMI • KAAN DÜZARAT
Sunday, September 6
BOVA PRESENTS: 3PILLIE • KUŞ KOLEKTİFİ • PINAR TATLIKAZAN QUARTET (DE) • 10TH YEAR JAM SESSION HOSTED BY ÖNDER FOCAN
BAYRAM ÖZCAN • BDNOISE • EZGI
