# Tabarka Jazz Festival

The Tabarka Jazz Festival, founded in 1973, is held at the Théâtre de la Mer in Tabarka, on Tunisia's north-west coast. Its latest edition, the 20th and the first in six years, ran from 2 to 9 July 2026, with seven main-stage concerts and free street concerts every evening. Dates for 2027 have not yet been announced.

Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/events/tabarka-jazz/

The Tabarka Jazz Festival is the jazz festival of Tabarka, a small port town in north-western Tunisia: concerts take place at the Théâtre de la Mer; in 2026 they started at 10 pm local time, while free street concerts filled the town. After six years' break, its 20th edition was held from 2 to 9 July 2026. No dates have been announced for 2027.

## A festival born in 1973

The festival was founded in 1973 by Lotfi Belhassine, who went on to become a major travel entrepreneur, behind Air Liberté and Club Aquarius. The early editions were held in straw huts, with dance, poetry and pottery alongside the music. Dizzy Gillespie played Tabarka; later, "raï weekends" brought great North African voices to the town.

The festival's history has been uneven: organisational problems, financial constraints and cancelled editions, including 2023. It now runs under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, with artistic director Mourad Mathari, who had already helped relaunch it in 1997. It is held in early July, before Tabarka's hotels fill up.

## The 2026 edition

Seven concerts followed one another on the main stage, with artists from Tunisia, Algeria, Lebanon, Cuba, the United States and the United Kingdom:

- **3 July**: Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodríguez opened the festival;
- **4 July**: American gospel and blues singer Liz McComb;
- **5 July**: "Osool", a project by Tunisian-American saxophonist Yacine Boularès and Algerian singer Soufiane Saidi;
- **6 July**: Lebanese pianist Tarek Yamani;
- **7 July**: Dee Dee Bridgewater and her "We Exist" project;
- **9 July**: closing night with Veronica Swift and Akua Naru.

**Street Jazz**, free of charge, filled the town's public spaces every evening from 7:30 pm: Djamel Laroussi, Mão Cabeça, Innēr Sense and Tunisian bands including Mohamed Ali Kammoun's "Jazzna", Fawzi Chekili's "Taqasim Revival" and Aziz Zouaoui's Siroko. Daily shuttles linked the Cité de la Culture in Tunis with Tabarka.

## Getting to Tabarka for the festival

**By road.** Tabarka is 171 km from Tunis-Carthage Airport, about 2 h 45 by road. Tabarka's own airport received only seasonal charter flights from Prague and Poland in 2026.

**Where to stay.** The hotel chosen by Sabaro is [La Cigale Tabarka](/en/hotels/la-cigale-tabarka/), a five-star hotel with thalasso and golf, 2 km from the centre; rates on request.

**The season.** In July, average highs reach 32°C in Tabarka and the sea 25.6°C. The festival combines well with diving and golf, covered on our [Tabarka and Kroumirie](/en/tunisia/tabarka/) page.

**Safety.** Tabarka is about ten kilometres from the Algerian border. European foreign ministries do not all draw the same areas they advise against near this border: some advise against all travel within 30 km of it, which includes Tabarka. Your country's advice:

(Depends on the traveller's country: see the table on https://sabaro-travel.com/en/events/tabarka-jazz/)

Our [safety in Tunisia](/en/guides/securite-tunisie/) guide has the details.

For the rest of the summer, the festivals of [Carthage](/en/events/festival-international-carthage/), [Hammamet](/en/events/festival-international-hammamet/) and [Dougga](/en/events/festival-international-dougga/) take over; see our [summer festivals in Tunisia](/en/guides/festivals-ete-tunisie/) guide.

## Frequently asked questions

### When is the Tabarka Jazz Festival in 2027?

The dates have not been announced yet. The latest edition ran from 2 to 9 July 2026, the first in six years.

### Are the concerts free?

In 2026 the Street Jazz concerts were, every evening from 7:30 pm. That was the part of the programme announced as free; the Théâtre de la Mer concerts started at 10 pm.

### Who founded the Tabarka jazz festival?

Lotfi Belhassine, in 1973. Dizzy Gillespie is among the legends who played there.