St Lucia Jazz Festival 2019

Get your jazz on at St Lucia’s Jazz Festival 2019

Get your jazz on at St Lucia’s Jazz Festival 2019. The event is a celebration of all things jazz, complete with educational activities and a plethora of live performances. It also now encompasses the island’s Arts Festival, so you can look forward to some poetry, fashion shows and other creative spectacles. Head on down between the 6^th and 13^th of May to enjoy a fantastic week of culture.

Event history

The very first St Lucia Jazz Festival was held in 1992. In its early years, it only spanned across 4 locations because its attendance was small. However, word quickly spread and the event soon became a notable fixture on the jazz music calendar, attracting thousands each year. It is now celebrated in multiple locations all over St Lucia and the headline acts just keep getting bigger. Past headliners include Amy Winehouse, R Kelly, Ne-Yo and Diana Ross.

What to expect

Smooth, smooth jazz plays day and night during the festival. There’s also a little soca, calypso, R&B, and zouk. Both outdoor and indoor venues feature throughout the festival, and the main spots are Pigeon Island, Rodney Bay, Derek Walcott Square, Soufrière and Balenbouche Estate.

Pigeon Island is where you’ll find the main headliners during the last few days of the event. The national park is quite stunning and sets a beautiful scene for the festival. Since it’s disconnected from the main land, you’ll have to travel by boat to this venue, but don’t worry; there’s plenty of great food, drink and entertainment for you there.

Rodney Bay is just south of the national park and you’ll be able to enjoy a few smaller acts here. The strip also has a few good restaurants and bars to keep you going.

Castries is where you will find Derek Walcott Square, and the stage here is full of lesser-known artists that are still rising up in their musical careers. See some fresh talent and enjoy the music for free! Once you’re done, move on down to Soufrière for a variety of shows that are set near the beach and the island’s volcano. It’s gonna be hot! (The shows, not the volcano)

Finally, Balenbouche Estate, just south of Soufrière, is where you will be able to enjoy some of the biggest and best acts outside of Pigeon Island. This location will have more of the R&B, calypso and soca beats playing, plus some steel pan thrown in for good measure.

How to get there

To get to St Lucia, you will of course need to go by plane. We have fantastic offers on flights, hotels and package holidays to St Lucia <link> and we are taking advance bookings for the St Lucia Jazz Festival. Book now to avoid disappointment – it’s a very busy period for the island.

Once you arrive at Hewanorra International Airport, you will need to take a car to the jazz festival, since most of the events are on the other side of the island. Luckily, we also have a useful car hire tool <link> on our website! Using this, you can book a hire car for however many days you need, and select a pick-up and drop-off time that suits you. Once you’re ready to book, simply call us on 0207 344 0101 and we’ll deal with everything for you. Car rental rates are much cheaper than taxis so you’ll be sure to get your money’s worth. Plus, having your own car is much more convenient during your holidays.

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