Tashkent's Free Jazz Festival Draws Thousands to Open Air

When rain started falling during Gunhild Carling's performance at the Tashkent International Jazz Festival, the crowd faced a choice. They stayed, every single one of them, watching the Swedish musician play through the storm.

That moment captured what's happening in Uzbekistan's capital each spring. Since 2016, the free open-air festival has grown from a local event into an international gathering that draws Grammy-winning artists and audiences from around the world.

This year's April lineup brought together legends like four-time Grammy winner Stanley Clarke, British band Incognito, and Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan. They performed on stages flanked by giant screens, with thousands sitting on grass and standing near the Palace of International Forums.

Muhitdin Jalolov brought his two grandsons to watch Clarke perform. "I wanted to show them what music for the soul sounds like," he said.

Clarke, who has recorded for five decades and played with Miles Davis and the Rolling Stones, understood the moment. "When I was 19, I played with older musicians and learned a lot of lessons," he said. "Now I am the older musician. That is how our music moves through time."

The festival draws unexpected connections. Swedish tourist Saga Almen was visiting Uzbekistan's historic cities when she discovered the festival was happening. She ended up watching Gunhild Carling, a childhood favorite from her home country, perform in Tashkent. "It feels extraordinary that we met here," she said.

For Incognito founder Bluey Maunick, visiting Tashkent for the first time, the crowd's commitment during the rain proved everything. "When I saw the crowd stay in the rain, I knew we would connect with Tashkent," he said.

The Ripple Effect

The festival's impact reaches beyond the performances. Madina Azimova, a retired piano teacher who lives near the venue, has attended every year since it started. "In the first years I came alone, but now I come with friends I met here," she said. "For us, spring is now associated with the jazz festival."

The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation reports that attendance has grown steadily each year, with more international visitors planning trips around the event. The free admission and open-air format make world-class performances accessible to everyone from seasoned jazz fans to families hearing the genre for the first time.

Incognito vocalist Tony Momrelle, on his third visit to Tashkent, summed up why artists keep returning. "It is the people who make a city, and in Tashkent people have only shown love," he told reporters.

The festival launched the same year Uzbekistan began opening itself to greater international exchange in tourism and culture. Now, musicians see performing there as more than just another concert. According to the Foundation, artists increasingly view their participation as a meaningful cultural event, a chance to share their work with audiences who might never have access otherwise.

Spring in Tashkent now means thousands gathering under open skies, rain or shine, connected by music that crosses borders and generations.