ALEF Jazz Festival

𝐴𝐿𝐸𝐹 𝐽𝑎𝑧𝑧 𝐹𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑙 is a new interdisciplinary outdoor festival in Rotterdam, where new expressions of improvisation and community come together in one intimate festival experience. On May 16, the Courtyard of the @groothandelsgebouw sets the stage.

ALEF (A Legacy Echoes Forever) is an initiative by @dekunstfabriek.699 and @goliathpresents, and showcases improvisation not as a side program, but as the beating heart of the festival.

Inspired by Afrobeat, African American jazz history, and Afrofuturism, ALEF traces its roots to FELA: the legacy of Fela Kuti. As an anagram of FELA, the name reflects a reordering of legacy into the present, embodying a philosophy of resistance through inspiration and cultural unity. Small in scale but ambitious in vision, this first edition aims to grow into an annual festival and provide a lasting boost to Rotterdam’s cultural infrastructure. Welcome to the pilot edition.

Line-up: S!RENE, Vanyfox

Arrangör: Goliath