The Cartagena Jazz Festival 2025: Complete Guide to Living the Party
Did you know that Cartagena doesn't only sound like cumbia and champeta? Every January, the walled city fills with saxophones and double basses at the Cartagena Jazz Festival, an event that has been making Plaza de la Aduana resonate with the best of Latin and world jazz for over a decade. If you're planning to come in January 2025, or if you're a local who's never been, this guide tells you the dates, artists, ticket prices, and the secrets to living the experience like a true Cartagenero.
Introduction: A Festival with a Taste of Sea and Drums
The Cartagena Jazz Festival, known locally as the Cartagena Jazz Festival, is not just another event on the calendar. It was born over 15 years ago as an independent initiative to bring top-tier jazz to a city that was turning its back on the genre. Today, it's one of the most important jazz festivals in Colombia and the Caribbean, and it has earned a place in January's cultural agenda, right after the festivities of the Virgen de la Candelaria and during peak tourist season.
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What makes this festival special isn't just the music. It's the setting: Plaza de la Aduana, a colonial space surrounded by balconies and bougainvillea, where the sound of jazz blends with the sea breeze from the bay. And then there's Getsemaní, the bohemian neighborhood that becomes an extension of the festival with concerts in bars and streets. By August 2026, the festival is already a consolidated tradition, and the 2025 edition promises to be one of the most ambitious, with a lineup that mixes genre veterans with new Colombian talents.
In this guide, we tell you, without beating around the bush, how to get tickets, which venues you can't miss, where to eat before the concert, and how to keep the party going after the last note. This is what you need to know, with practical data and local advice.
Official Dates and Lineup of the Cartagena Jazz Festival 2025
The 2025 edition of the Cartagena Jazz Festival is scheduled for January 9 to 12, 2025. Four days of concerts that transform the Historic Center and Getsemaní into a grand open-air stage. The dates fall during peak season, so if you haven't booked your accommodation yet, do it now. By August 2026, hotel prices in January typically double, so planning ahead is key.
The official 2025 lineup was announced at the end of 2024, and although the organization usually keeps last-minute surprises, these are the confirmed artists you can't miss:
International Artists
- Avishai Cohen (Israel) – The Israeli bassist and composer is one of the biggest names in contemporary jazz. His opening concert at Plaza de la Aduana is the most anticipated event. He performs on Thursday, January 9.
- Melissa Aldana (Chile) – The Chilean saxophonist, a Latin Grammy winner, brings her quartet with a fresh and powerful sound. She performs on Friday, January 10.
- Kurt Elling (USA) – The American vocalist, famous for his impressive vocal technique, closes the festival on Sunday, January 12. A show that combines swing, soul, and poetry.
National and Local Artists
- La Mambanegra (Cali) – This orchestra fuses jazz, salsa, and funk with overwhelming energy. They're local crowd favorites and play on Saturday, January 11 at Plaza de la Aduana.
- Rafael "Chico" Cervantes (Cartagena) – The Cartagena pianist, a veteran of Latin jazz, leads a special jam session in Getsemaní on Friday night.
- Bogotá Jazz Collective – An ensemble of Bogotá musicians paying homage to the greats of fusion jazz. They perform at Teatro Adolfo Mejía on Saturday afternoon.
It's important to note that the lineup may change at the last minute. The festival organization publishes the detailed program on its official social media channels (Instagram and Facebook) a week before the event. We recommend following the official account so you don't miss the surprises.
Venues and Locations: Where Jazz Lives in Cartagena
The festival isn't limited to a single place. The magic is in moving between venues, each with its own atmosphere. These are the three main spaces and what you should know about each:
Plaza de la Aduana: The Heart of the Festival
Plaza de la Aduana, located in the Historic Center, two blocks from the Torre del Reloj, is the main stage. The gala opening and closing concerts take place here, along with the Friday and Saturday night shows. It's an open-air space with capacity for about 2,000 people seated in plastic chairs. The sound is excellent, but January's heat and humidity can be intense. Bring water, use repellent, and wear light cotton clothing. Concerts start promptly at 7:00 p.m., so arrive at least 30 minutes early to get a good spot.
Teatro Adolfo Mejía: The Acoustic Gem
Teatro Adolfo Mejía, also known as Teatro Heredia, is one of the most beautiful theaters in Colombia. It's in the Center, on Calle de la Iglesia, one block from Plaza de Bolívar. The more intimate concerts take place here: trios, quartets, and soloists. The acoustics are impeccable, and the air conditioning is a relief after the street heat. Tickets for this venue are cheaper than those for Plaza de la Aduana, but they sell out fast. With a capacity of only 800 people, if you want to see an artist here, buy your tickets days in advance.
Getsemaní: The Neighborhood That Becomes a Stage
Getsemaní is Cartagena's bohemian neighborhood, famous for its street art murals and festive atmosphere. During the festival, several bars and cultural spaces organize parallel concerts and jam sessions. The most well-known spots are Café Havana, on Calle del Sargento, which programs live jazz every night of the festival, and Plaza de la Trinidad, which becomes an improvised open-air stage with free music. These events are informal, without tickets, and are perfect for those who want to experience jazz in a more relaxed way, with a beer in hand and dancing salsa between songs.
Ticket and Pass Guide: Prices, Presale, and VIP Options
Getting tickets for the Cartagena Jazz Festival 2025 is easier than it seems if you know where to look. Official sales go through the TuBoleta platform and at the Teatro Adolfo Mejía box office. Don't buy tickets from street scalpers; in January there are many tourists and scams are common.
Ticket Types and Reference Prices
Prices vary by venue and artist. As a reference from August 2026, these are the ranges the festival managed in 2025 (2025 prices may vary slightly, but they give you an idea of the budget needed):
- General ticket Plaza de la Aduana: between $120,000 and $180,000 COP per night. Includes access to general seating.
- VIP ticket Plaza de la Aduana: between $250,000 and $350,000 COP per night. Includes preferred seating near the stage, a complimentary drink, and access to an area with exclusive portable restrooms.
- Teatro Adolfo Mejía ticket: between $80,000 and $120,000 COP. Price depends on location in the orchestra or boxes.
- General 4-day pass: around $450,000 COP. Includes access to all nights at Plaza de la Aduana (without VIP) and one concert at Teatro Adolfo Mejía.
- Full VIP pass: around $800,000 COP. Includes access to everything, preferred seating, welcome cocktail, and a pass to the private jam session on Saturday at a bar in Getsemaní.
Presale and Discounts
The presale usually opens in November with a 15% discount for purchases with partner bank credit cards (typically Bancolombia and Davivienda). There's also a 10% discount for students and seniors with ID. In 2025, the presale sold out in less than a week for the nights of Avishai Cohen and Kurt Elling. If you want to see those artists, don't wait until December.
A local tip: if you can't afford the VIP pass, buy the general ticket for Saturday (the night of La Mambanegra). It's the most festive night, with more people dancing and the highest energy. The music is so good that nobody stays seated.
Suggested Itinerary: Eat, Listen, and Keep the Party Going
A jazz concert in Cartagena isn't just music; it's a complete experience that starts with a good meal and ends with an improvised party. Here's an itinerary for each night of the festival, designed so you don't waste time or go hungry.
Thursday, January 9: Opening with a Taste of the Sea
The festival opens with Avishai Cohen at Plaza de la Aduana at 7:00 p.m. Before the concert, we recommend dining at La Cevichería, on Calle del Sargento in Getsemaní. It's a simple place, no frills, but with the best ceviche in the city. Order the mixed ceviche and a coconut lemonade. The price per person is around $40,000 COP. After dinner, walk 10 minutes to Plaza de la Aduana. After the concert, if you have energy left, head to Café Havana in Getsemaní, where the party continues until 3:00 a.m. with a live salsa band. Entry costs about $20,000 COP.
