Gent Jazz 1.5 attracts 5,000 visitors

This year’s mini festival wasn’t an official Gent Jazz edition – by far. But the enthusiasm – after months of jazz cravings – was just as abundant. In the past fourteen days, just over 5,000 people bought a ticket for Gent Jazz 1.5. What’s more: nine of those fourteen days were completely sold out, the other five as good as.

Just as important: 33 jazz acts were able to play in front of a live audience for the first time in several months. Gent Jazz organizer Bertrand Flamang: “This special edition has demonstrated that musicians and festivals are more important to each other than ever before. My personal highlights were Jef Neve, Myrddin, LABtrio, Antoine Pierre URBEX, Philip Catherine & Nicola Andrioli and Too Noisy Fish.”

If Gent Jazz 1.5 has proven one more thing, it is that concerts can be held safely. In bubbles, with mouth masks on when needed and with table service – a COVID-19 necessity that soon became a real pleasure.

One could hardly call Gent Jazz 1.5 ‘sun-drenched’. But the atmosphere was excellent, every single night, and while the sun might not have been high in the sky, it sure was in everyone’s heart.