Jazzmandu — Kathmandu Jazz Festival

The festival

Born in 2002 on the initiative of Upstairs Ideas, Jazzmandu is the Kathmandu jazz festival — its name-valise says everything. For a week, the valley resonates with concerts in unexpected places: the Jazz Upstairs club in Lazimpat, the gardens of the Yak & Yeti hotel, the Jazz Bazaar in the open air at Gokarna Forest Resort, and "Jazz at Patan" in the historic city of Patan.

International musicians and Nepali scene — led by the Cadenza Collective of drummer Navin Chettri, who merges jazz, Afro-funk and folk nepali — cross with them, with free workshops and master classes for young musicians from the country. Trilok Gurtu, Ari Hoenig or Tito Puente Jr. passed there. The edition 2026 takes place from 29 October to 4 November.