The 32nd Klaipėda Castle Jazz Festival, taking place on June 26–27 in Theater Square, invites you not only to listen to music but also to experience jazz with all your senses. The festival program will bring together the city’s youngest jazz talents, world-class performers, and even the chance to virtually ascend to a height of 160 meters.

On June 26, the festival stage will feature STOP JAZZ, a jazz ensemble made up of students from the Juozas Karosas Music School in Klaipėda, led by expert instructor Deividas Kontrimas.

“This ensemble has been active under this name for more than twenty years. During that time, it has participated in numerous concerts, competitions, and festivals, and its lineup has constantly evolved alongside the growing generations of young musicians. The current lineup of STOP JAZZ is one of the youngest in the group’s history—it consists of musicians aged 9–16, for whom these first years of making music together will be crowned with a performance on one of Lithuania’s most important jazz stages.” – says expert teacher Deividas Kontrimas.

The following artists will perform for the festival audience:

• Austėja Jakubaitytė – vocals
• Anastasija Borovec – tenor saxophone, piano
• Nojus Strankauskas – Percussion
• Rokas Anduleit – bass guitar
• Bernardas Jurgis Urbutis – guitar
• Ąžuolas Marcinkus – guitar
• Bahdan Zholal – trumpet

The performance by these young musicians will serve as a reminder that jazz will live on as long as a new generation breathes life into it.

However, this year’s festival will offer more than just musical discoveries. On June 26–27, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., a special educational space will be open in Theater Square, presented to festival guests by the festival’s partners, “Ignitis renewables.”

While improvisations play on stage, visitors will be able to explore the world of wind energy right there. Virtual reality goggles will allow them to ascend to the top of a 160-meter-tall wind turbine and view the world of energy from a bird’s-eye perspective.

Festival guests will also be able to enjoy a giant JENGA game focused on energy issues, the interactive game “Sun and Wind,” a creative magnet coloring area, and educational jigsaw puzzles and puzzles that trace the journey of electricity from its generation to our homes.

The education zone will also feature a mobile Ignitis customer service center. Its specialists will provide advice on electricity and gas plans, contracts, billing, and self-service, and will assist customers in installing and using the EnergySmart app.

Festival director Inga Grubliauskienė is delighted that this year’s festival program encompasses much more than just music: “The Klaipėda Castle Jazz Festival has always been more than just concerts. It is a place where music, ideas, people, and visions of the future come together. That is why we are especially pleased that, together with young musicians and our partners, we can offer festival visitors not only memorable concerts, but also knowledge, new experiences, and diverse activities for the whole family. It is very important to me that the festival inspires not only listening, but also learning, discovering, asking questions, and dreaming. Just as jazz fosters creativity, so does learning foster personal growth. And when, next to the stage where our city’s youngest jazz talents are taking their first steps, there’s an opportunity to rise 160 meters high and look toward the future of energy, you realize that the festival truly becomes a place where creativity, science, technology, and people come together.”

Just as jazz inspires creativity and freedom, responsibly generated energy helps build a more sustainable future. That is why we are delighted that these values come together in one place—a festival where what matters is not only what we hear, but also what we take home with us.

📍 Theater Square, Klaipėda

📅 June 26–27

⏰ Educational Space: 1:00 PM–7:00 PM

🎵 “STOP JAZZ” at the Juozas Karosas Music School in Klaipėda: 6:00 p.m.

🎷 32nd Klaipėda Castle Jazz Festival

For more information: www.jazz.lt

The festival is funded by the Klaipėda City Municipality, the Lithuanian Council for Culture, and the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority. You can watch live broadcasts of the concerts from the 32nd Klaipėda Castle Jazz Festival at Theater Square on TV3.LT