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Umbria Jazz: Perugia in July, Orvieto at New Year

Umbria Jazz: Perugia in July, Orvieto at New Year
Dawid Skalec · CC BY-SA 3.0

Umbria Jazz runs twice a year in two different cities: ten days in Perugia in July, and five days in Orvieto from December 30 to January 3, straight through New Year's Eve.

Two editions, two seasons

The summer festival has been in Perugia since 1982 and takes place in July; the winter one has been in Orvieto since 1993 and falls between Christmas and Epiphany. Umbria Jazz Winter 2026-2027 runs from December 30, 2026 to January 3, 2027.

The July edition is the large one. It ran July 3 to 12 in 2026, and the 54th edition is announced for July 9 to 18, 2027, which is far enough ahead to plan the rest of the trip around it.

What the 2026 numbers say

The 2026 Perugia edition broke the festival's record: over 46,000 tickets sold and more than €3 million in box office, with 500 musicians in 80 line-ups. The paid venues are the Arena Santa Giuliana, the Teatro Morlacchi and the Sala Podiani.

Around 160 free events ran alongside them, in the streets and squares. That ratio is the character of the festival: a ticket buys you a specific concert, and the city outside is playing anyway.

From Piediluco in 1973

The first Umbria Jazz concert took place on August 23, 1973 at Villalago di Piediluco, on an idea of Carlo Pagnotta, and the festival moved around the region before it settled. It stopped between 1977 and 1981, then restarted with a permanent home in Perugia from 1982.

The organizer today is the Fondazione di Partecipazione Umbria Jazz. The winter edition, added in 1993, was the second stable date and it has never moved from Orvieto.

Getting into Perugia in July

The MiniMetro registered 160,000 validations during the 2026 edition, because the historic center sits on a hill and the Arena Santa Giuliana sits below it. Driving into the center during the festival is the one thing not to plan.

Orvieto in winter is a smaller problem: the town is compact, and five days between New Year's Eve and Epiphany is a different kind of trip. Regional context is on the Umbria page.

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FAQ

When is Umbria Jazz in Perugia?

In July, every year, since the festival settled in the city in 1982. The 2026 edition ran July 3 to 12 and the 54th edition is announced for July 9 to 18, 2027. Ten days is the standard length of the summer festival.

Is there a winter Umbria Jazz?

Yes, in Orvieto rather than Perugia, and it has run since 1993 between Christmas and Epiphany. Umbria Jazz Winter 2026-2027 goes from December 30, 2026 to January 3, 2027, so the programme runs straight through New Year's Eve.

How big is Umbria Jazz?

The 2026 edition was the biggest yet: over 46,000 tickets sold and more than €3 million taken, with 500 musicians in 80 line-ups. Alongside the ticketed concerts it put on around 160 free events, which is how the city itself becomes the venue.

Can you go to Umbria Jazz without buying a ticket?

Largely, yes. The 2026 programme included around 160 free events in the streets and squares of Perugia, against ticketed concerts at the Arena Santa Giuliana, the Teatro Morlacchi and the Sala Podiani. The free side is the part that fills the historic center.

How old is Umbria Jazz?

It started in 1973, on an idea of Carlo Pagnotta, with the first concert on August 23, 1973 at Villalago di Piediluco. The festival stopped between 1977 and 1981 and restarted in Perugia in 1982, where the July edition has been held ever since.

Sources (5)

  1. 1Fondazione di Partecipazione Umbria Jazz; doc 2 · recheck by 2099-12-31
  2. 246,000 · 3,000,000 · 42,035Fondazione di Partecipazione Umbria Jazz; doc 2 · recheck by 2027-08-31
  3. 3Fondazione di Partecipazione Umbria Jazz · recheck by 2027-01-31
  4. 4Fondazione di Partecipazione Umbria Jazz · recheck by 2027-01-03
  5. 5Fondazione di Partecipazione Umbria Jazz · recheck by 2027-07-18

Updated 2026-09-02