Under the banner of the PIF Castelfidardo, the Jazz Accordion Festival (JAF) has been held in Castelfidardo since 2016, a festival created to appreciate the accordion in its vibrant jazz guise, highlighting further sounds and stimulating opportunities for meeting and contamination.
Devised by Ruben Cittadini (Castelfidardo City Assessore for Culture, Tourism, and Youth Policies), the annual event is promoted by the Department of Culture and the Municipality of Castelfidardo in collaboration with accordion manufacturing companies, plus the project also benefits from the artistic direction of maestro Simone Zanchini.
In Castelfidardo, the accordion is not just an instrument: it is culture, craftsmanship, and an identity that has spanned generations. It is from this fertile ground that the Jazz Accordion Festival was born, a jazz festival that in recent years has transformed the “city of the accordion” into an international crossroads of sounds and experimentation.
In 2026, from March 13 to 15, the festival returns for its ninth edition. The formula remains unchanged: on Friday and Saturday at 9:30 p.m., the curtain will rise on the stage of the On Stage Club in Castelfidardo, an intimate and vibrant setting where the accordion dialogues with drums, double basses, and wind instruments; on Sunday at 6:00 p.m., the festival will move to the Teatro Cortesi in Sirolo, offering an afternoon concert in one of the most evocative villages of the Conero.
The organizers assure us that this edition will also be international in scope, with artists from different countries and genres ready to explore the potential of the Marche region’s most iconic instrument.
Adding interest to the 2026 JAF event is the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes (CIA) Winter Congress which will be held on the same dates in Castelfidardo with the CIA Executive and Delegates taking the opportunity to attend the main concerts and meet with the many accordionists attending.
For those who regularly attend jazz festivals, JAF represents a fascinating detour: not just another standardized festival, but a project that puts the accordion at the center of a contemporary narrative, capable of combining tradition and experimentation.
In March 2026, for the ninth time, that story will resound once again in the hills of the Marche region. The intention for 2026 is to further expand the educational offering and continue to maintain free admission, in line with the informative spirit of the initiative. Further information at: jazzaccordionfestival.com
