Jazz in the Park Competition, one of the most prestigious jazz contests in Eastern Europe, announces the headliners for its 8th edition. 14 finalist bands from 10 countries, selected from a record 308 applications across 50 countries, will compete for €50,000 in prizes between 19–21 September, in Cluj-Napoca’s Central Park.
Each evening will conclude with two special concerts on the park’s Main Promenade: Arp Frique & The Perpetual Singers (NL), daoud (FR), Błoto (PL)— followed by Jam Sessions at Colin’s Gastro Pub.
The event is free to attend and marks the closing of Romania’s outdoor festival season.
“For the bands, what we do is a competition — they give their best on stage, with the grand prize in mind. For the audience, Jazz in the Park Competition is a festival, a celebration in Central Park, the last major outdoor event of the year. For us, it’s both an honor and a joy to contribute to the industry and community we belong to. It’s our 10th year in Central Park, and we can’t wait to live the festival experience together,”
— Denisa Dan, Jazz in the Park manager
Shaped as a free, open festival, the competition aims each year to attract and discover promising young jazz bands from around the world, contributing to the growth and development of the jazz ecosystem. Since 2013, the organizers have also brought to the city the relaxed festival atmosphere with chill zones and activities for everyone.
Special Guests (nightly headliners)
Arp Frique & The Perpetual Singers — a funk band with a gospel-disco heart, beamed in from another galaxy, inviting you into a world full of color. Even if you’ve never heard them before, within minutes you’ll be dancing as if their songs have always been on repeat. That’s the magic brought to the stage by Rotterdam artist Niels Nieuborg, the creative mind behind Arp Frique.
Błoto — a Polish alternative-jazz quartet born spontaneously on a night off between EABS shows. Their music leans heavily on hip-hop: heavy beats, deep bass and a raw, no-compromise feel. In just one year they released three albums, becoming a cult name on the avant-jazz scene. They previously played Jazz in the Park at the Ethnographic Park and now return to help close the season.
daoud — as every year, last edition’s winner returns to close the competition on the main stage. Often called the enfant terrible of French jazz, daoud is widely seen as a standard-bearer of the new French scene. Influences from hip-hop, Italo house and modern jazz fuse into a rich, personality-driven groove. The Franco-Moroccan trumpeter fuels his compositions with absurdism and a hint of mischief, always finding fresh ways to ruffle the purists.
More details about the finalists are available on jazzinthepark.ro, and you can listen to the Official Playlist on our Spotify channel. Full stage and activity schedules will be published in September.
Prizes & Opportunities for Artists
The 14 finalist bands compete not only for cash prizes, but also for bookings at festivals and jazz clubs across Europe. To support broad participation, entry to the competition is free, and all selected finalists receive a guaranteed fee of €1,000 plus a transport budget up to €1,000; accommodation during the event is covered by the organizers.
Prizes:
- 1st Prize: €5,000 + invitation to perform at Jazz in the Park 2026 (contract worth €2,000 net, accommodation & transport) + invitation to perform at the closing concert of Jazz in the Park Competition 2026 (contract worth €2,500 net, accommodation & transport);
- 2nd Prize: €3,000;
- 3rd Prize: €1,000;
- Best Romanian Band in the Competition: €1,000;
- Most Valuable Composition: €500;
- Three (3) Special Mentions for Outstanding Musicians: €500 each;
- Audience Award: music equipment offered by the competition’s partners.
The Awards Ceremony will take place on Sunday, 21 September, at 19:00.
In addition, at least 10 program directors from European festivals and jazz clubs will attend and may offer performance contracts to the artists they discover.
Audience Experience
Created for artists and designed to offer real opportunities, the competition preserves its established three-day festival-contest format, with finalists performing live in front of the public. Beyond the concerts, visitors can enjoy music lessons, dance workshops and other creative activities, bringing music closer to people and shaping an authentic festival atmosphere. Last year’s edition brought together over 70,000 people.
Admission is free; those who wish to support the event can purchase an optional support ticket on site.
About Jazz in the Park Competition
Jazz in the Park Competition returned in 2023 after a short hiatus, in a more mature format, consolidating its position as a leading international competition. It is organized as an open, friendly festival, offering free access to the public and an authentic festival experience to participants.
In 2025, the competition closes Romania’s outdoor season in a warm early-autumn month — to the rhythms of jazz.
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Events under the Jazz in the Park umbrella are organized by Fapte, an association that develops people and communities through cultural events. Last year, the association received the AFCN “Resilience in Culture” Award. The 2025 calendar includes:
- Jazz in the Park Festival | Ethnographic Park “Romulus Vuia” | 5–7 June 2026
- Jazz in the Park Competition | Central Park “Simion Bărnuțiu” | 19–21 September
- Music Gallery | Edison Music Hub | October–November
Main partners: BRD – Groupe Société Générale, Birra Moretti, Purcari, AROBS Transilvania Software, City Hall and Local Council of Cluj-Napoca
Partners: PPC, AROBS Foundation, Pepsi, Mega Image, 8×8, Bonas, Malfy, Daisler Print House, Olivo Coffee Culture, Colin’s Gastro Pub, Distileria Galben, Mobila Dalin, RMB Inter Auto, GLS, Iulius Mall, Garden Depot by Grădini Cluj, Audio-Technica, Meze Audio, KOMITI, Artimm, IARMAROC.com
Co-financed by: Administration of the National Cultural Fund (AFCN), Cluj County Council
Institutional partners: Casino Urban Culture Centre, Europe Jazz Network, YOUROPE, University of Art and Design, German Cultural Center (Deutsches Kulturzentrum), French Institute (Institut Français), Italian Cultural Institute (Istituto Italiano di Cultura) – Bucharest, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego, Instytut Adama Mickiewicza, Poland–Romania Cultural Season 2024–2025
Media partners: Rock FM, TVR Cultural, The Woman, TVR Cluj, Radio România Cluj, Kolozsvári Rádió, Ziua de Cluj, Reset Media, Cluj24, Cluj Live, Servus Cluj, Visit Cluj, Cărturești
