Belgrade Jazz Festival 2024
Dom Omladine Beograda, MTS Dvorana
Belgrade, Serbia
October 24-28, 2024

It is possible that, of all the major cities of Europe, the least understood in the Western world is Belgrade, Serbia. In the 1990's, when the wars in the former Yugoslavia were raging, Serbia was a major topic in the world news media. A NATO aerial bombing campaign in 1999 ended the conflict. Serbia was left with a severely damaged economy and its former president, Slobodan Milo?evi?, incarcerated in The Hague (home of the International Criminal Court). After the breakup of the Yugoslav federation, the republics of Croatia and Slovenia quickly became members of the European Union. Serbia has not yet met the requirements to join.

But Belgrade is a fascinating place to visit. The best-known tourist site is the grand, imposing Belgrade Fortress. From its ramparts there are stunning panoramic vistas of the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers. The Temple of St. Sava, one of the largest Eastern Orthodox churches in the world, is another major landmark. The Nikola Tesla Museum is both fun and educational.

But the best thing to do in Belgrade is walk the streets. It is not a romantic destination. It is crowded, noisy, austere and covered in graffiti. There are zones of Soviet-era brutalist architecture. But there are also older sections with neoclassical and Art Nouveau buildings. The vibe of the streets has its own edgy energy. Sometimes Belgrade reminds you of certain hip, gritty aspects of New York. Both cities are notable for night life. Both cities never sleep. But New York is expensive to visit and Belgrade is not. You can eat extremely well in Belgrade for much less than half the price of New York. Fifteen years ago, when you walked the city, you regularly came upon the ruins of buildings bombed by NATO. Those shocking scenes of rubble and destruction have now mostly been covered or cleared away.

Belgrade is a unique jazz landing place. It is often said of Serbs that they possess a special sense of their own isolation. (The best-selling Norwegian author ?sne Seierstad wrote a book on the subject called With Their Backs to the World.) Most Serbs want to transcend their isolation. One community in which Serbia is a member in good standing is the international jazz community. Serbia's jazz history goes back 100 years, and its current local scene is strong. Serbs see jazz as a means of connection to a wider world. Jazz fans here are passionate.

The Belgrade Jazz Festival began in 1971. Belgrade was the capital of Yugoslavia then—the most "liberal" communist country. Through the 1970s and 1980s, the Belgrade festival became an important stop on the European jazz circuit. Duke, Miles, Dizzy, Ornette, Monk and many other major American and European artists played Belgrade. In 1991, because of the wars, the festival, like most good things in the Balkans, went dark.

The festival relaunched in 2005. It has gradually re-established its reputation for high standards. It is now identified with cutting-edge music. Almost all concerts take place in two venues in Dom Omladine (the Youth Center), in the center of Belgrade near Trg Republike (Republic Square). There is a nice 500-seat auditorium (Velika Sala) and a smaller space upstairs where the late night music happens (Sala Amerikana). For the bigger names, the festival uses the 1400-seat MTS Dvorana, a former communist trade union hall, now completely remodeled.

The opening night of the festival was in a nearly full MTS Dvorana.