Bohemia JazzFest announces 2024 lineup across Czech cities

The 22nd edition of Bohemia JazzFest will run in July, offering free jazz concerts in five Czech towns – Prague, Plzeň, Prachatice, Hluboká nad Vltavou and Brno.

Highlights include the Charles Lloyd Quartet opening on 14 July at the Royal Garden of Prague Castle, and Grammy‑nominated pianist Gerald Clayton receiving the Bohemia Jazz Award and performing with his trio in Plzeň on 15 July. The American fusion group Yellowjackets, led by saxophonist Bob Mintzer and keyboardist Russell Ferrante, will appear on 17 July in Prachatice and 18 July in Hluboká nad Vltavou. The festival concludes on 20‑21 July in Brno with performances by Italian singer‑guitarist Mike Sponza and UK vocalist Gavin Skeggs, supported by Czech musicians.

The festival’s annual award – a glass tile sculpture by Zdeněk Lhotský – will be presented to Clayton. This year the competition for best composition has been dropped; instead, the event partnered with the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory to select participating bands, aiming to promote analog musicians.