Soulac'n Jazz
At the end of the peninsula, where the estuary meets the Atlantic, Soulac-sur-Mer’s Belle-Époque streets vibrate to the suave rhythm of Soulac’n Jazz. For three days, the blue notes will be playing in the squares and terraces, offering music lovers – and the simply curious – an exceptional swinging interlude. The jazzy atmosphere awakens the blonde stones, gets the local businesses up and dancing, and spreads the cultural and economic vibrancy of the “Fin des Terres” far beyond the dunes.
The spirit of jazz
Always true to its original groove, Soulac’n Jazz celebrates jazz in all its colours: fiery, cross-cultural, free to cross borders. Building on the success of 2023-2024, future editions of the festival are set to expand: five distinct universes – conceived as so many gateways – will enliven the 2025 edition. The idea? To open the doors wide to all audiences, and go beyond virtuosity to emphasise the creativity, musicality and harmony that give jazz its soul and breath.
IN and OFF
The mainstay of the event, the festival features five flagship concerts – four in the intimate Salle Notre-Dame and a grand finale under the vaulted ceiling of the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Fin-des-Terres – a mix of national and international headliners, up-and-coming young musicians from the Neo-Aquitaine region and original creations celebrating over a century of jazz inventiveness, with a special spotlight on female bandleaders. Around this beating heart,the “OFF” programme will be bringing free vibes to the streets and terraces at lunchtime, offering a jazz snack for 4-12 year-olds, inviting us to the EHPAD for a moment of shared emotion, marrying nectars and notes at a Wine & Jazz conference and hosting a “What is Jazz? Musicians, volunteers and organisers combine their energies to turn these four days into a moment of celebration, discovery and humanity open to all.
The 2026 programme
Thursday 20 August 2026 – 9.00 pm – Estelle Perrault Quintet
Estelle’s music is an exploration of identity, a bridge between her roots and her aspirations, a narrative of her quest for stability and community. Her commitment to music and to jazz is a spiritual journey.
Estelle PERRAULT, a Franco-Taiwanese jazz singer, embodies an unconventional journey shaped by the richness of two cultures and a deep passion for jazz. Estelle Perrault’s jazz-soul voice is deeply moving. A radiant voice, a team of musicians in perfect harmony, sincere and personal lyrics: *Promises*… Estelle Perrault Quintet.
Friday 21 August 2026 – 8.00 pm – Trek Quintet
From lyrical and contemplative melodies to explosive themes with frenzied rhythms…
TREK creates a rich, narrative-driven style of jazz, at the crossroads of progressive rock, 1960s spiritual jazz and hip-hop from the 1990s to the present day. The subtlety of the compositions… a journey forward, with no set route.
The saxophone responds to the rich, delicate calls of the guitar; the drums pulse with a pleasantly energetic rhythm; the keyboard acts as the heart of the ensemble; the bass plays with effects, electric echoes and distortion. It’s melodious, with a gentle, tenderly breathless quality.
Friday 21 August 2026 – 9.30 pm – Albatros Quartet
ALBATROS draws inspiration from its influences and invites you on a journey in all its forms, taking you through soundscapes that span the sky, the sea and memories… a journey both migratory and imaginary.
With ethereal melodies, free-flowing rhythms and poignant lyrics… You can’t help but be captivated. A poetic jazz experience awaits you.
As the Albatros takes flight, the instruments accompany it, and the quartet itself soars with ease…
Saturday 22 August 2026 – 9.30 pm – Mathias Lévy
“CHANT SONG”, Mathias LÉVY’s beautiful new programme, is an ongoing dialogue, a ceaseless quest for balance and meaning between the voice and the stringed instruments, the breath of Lou TAVANO’s singing and that of the accordion, the words of poets such as Prévert and Cendrars, and the joy of collective improvisation and freedom…
It is the precision with which the compositions and arrangements are crafted, and the apt choice of lyrics, that enable the song to blend so naturally with the vital, spontaneous energy of jazz and improvisation.
Sunday 23 August 2026 – 9.30 pm – Jean-Pierre Como and Javier Girotto
‘PARFUM D’AZUR’… it’s not just jazz; it’s a shared breath, a space of light, a moment suspended in time where music becomes dialogue, presence and shared experience. Melodic jazz with choreographic touches, a truly festive conversation between Javier GIROTTO’s saxophone and Jean-Pierre COMO’s piano.
Music that is radiant… and deeply human.
The music flows effortlessly, striking a rare balance between precise composition and the freedom of improvisation.
