Eight days of world-class jazz in Havana: free outdoor concerts on the Malecón seafront boulevard, ticketed shows at the Karl Marx Theatre, and informal jam sessions in the paladares of Old Havana.
Jazz Plaza is Cuba's most prestigious music festival and has run in Havana since 1980, organised by the Cuban Institute of Music. The eight-day programme brings together Cuban jazz artists, Latin jazz performers from across the Caribbean and Americas, and a selection of international guests for concerts across multiple venues including the Karl Marx Theatre in Miramar (capacity 5,500), the Casa de la Cultura Plaza Vieja in Old Havana, and outdoor stages on the Malecón seafront boulevard. Cuban jazz is a specific tradition: it draws heavily from the son cubano and Afro-Cuban rhythmic base while incorporating bebop and contemporary jazz harmony, and the festival is the most concentrated opportunity to hear it in its home context.
Visiting Cuba in January means cool, dry weather (24–28°C) and the country's driest period. The infrastructure for foreign visitors operates on a dual currency and payment system that has evolved rapidly: most tourist-facing establishments accept credit cards from non-US banks or CADECA exchange offices. US visitors face additional restrictions on payment methods. Jazz Plaza tickets for the Karl Marx Theatre are available from the ICRT ticket office on Calle 23 in Vedado; outdoor concerts require no ticket. Old Havana paladares (privately run restaurants) often host informal jazz sessions in the evenings during the festival period, starting around 9pm. Hostel and casa particular (home stay) accommodation in Vedado and Old Havana runs CUC 20–35 per room per night.
Party hostels within reach of 's main celebrations. Ranked by guest rating.
Day-by-day breakdown
The ICRT ticket office on Calle 23 in Vedado opens at 9am; arriving before 11am gives the best chance at Karl Marx Theatre tickets for the headline evening concerts. The old town, declared a UNESCO site in 1982, covers Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza Vieja, and the Museo de la Revolución in a walkable circuit taking 3–4 hours. The Bar Floridita on Obispo, where Hemingway drank, is tourist-facing but serves an excellent daiquiri; the El Bodeguita del Medio on Empedrado is similarly associated with the Hemingway mythology and serves mojitos.
The outdoor Malecón concerts start at 7pm. The seafront boulevard, which stretches 8km along Havana's north coast, draws locals and tourists together at the free stages; this is the most genuine cross-section of Cuban music audience available during the festival. Karl Marx Theatre headline shows start at 9pm and run until midnight. After the theatre, the jazz continues informally in the bars of Vedado and Old Havana until 2am or 3am; the Casa de la Música on Galiano Street in Centro Habana runs salsa dancing sessions most nights.