Medieval City of Rhodes hosts jazz through 25 October
Published on 10/24/2026 at 15:50 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSJazz and heritage in Rhodes
- The Rhodes festival began on 22 October 2026 at the Palace of the Grand Master.
- Concerts and MedMus activities continue through 24 October 2026 in the Medieval City.
- The Knights of St John occupied Rhodes from 1309 to 1523, shaping the fortified city.
At Medieval City of Rhodes (Palia Poli tis Rodou), the Rhodes & South Aegean International Jazz Festival is running from 22 to 25 October 2026. The programme brings concerts and educational activities to Rhodes, Greece, with the Palace of the Grand Master among its venues.
Rhodes jazz festival brings music to historic venues
The festival is presented under the artistic direction of Dimitrios Vasilakis and is listed by the Greek National Tourism Organisation. Its theme, Jazz Across the Water - Mediterranean Bridges, connects musicians from the USA, Puerto Rico, Greece, Slovakia, Cyprus, Turkey, Albania, Austria and Cuba. The festival programme for 22 to 25 October also includes workshops, educational activities and collaborations with universities and young musicians.
The event is not confined to one concert room. On 22 October, the Palace of the Grand Master hosts the Sonny & Trane Tribute and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Jazz Faculty Ensemble. On 23 October, the Church of the Virgin of the Burgh hosts Flowtet and the Mediterranean Ensemble.
The programme continues at the same church on 24 October with Yaremi Kordos and Roland Abreu performing Afro Cuban Grooves, followed by the RIJF All-Star International Band. The festival listing also places the international academic conference MedMus - Mediterranean Improvisations in Rhodes on 23 and 24 October, linking live performance with academic research.
The festival meets a fortified UNESCO city
The Palace of the Grand Master stands within the medieval city, whose upper town also contains the Great Hospital and the Street of the Knights. UNESCO describes the upper town as a Gothic urban ensemble, while the lower town combines Gothic buildings with mosques, public baths and Ottoman-era structures.
The Order of St John occupied Rhodes from 1309 to 1523 and transformed the island capital into a fortified city. Its medieval enclosure extends within a wall about 4 km long, with a high town to the north and a lower town to the south-west. These features mean the festival venues are not separate modern attractions: the concerts sit inside the historic urban structure that gives the site its World Heritage significance. The UNESCO description of the Medieval City records both its layered architecture and its fortifications.
MedMus adds an academic strand on 23 and 24 October
The MedMus conference provides a second strand to the festival on 23 and 24 October. Its inclusion places concerts, improvisation and research in the same programme, while the scheduled performances use the Palace of the Grand Master and the Church of the Virgin of the Burgh as historic settings.
For travellers in Western Europe, the combination is practical as well as cultural. A visit during the current festival period can include a concert in the medieval city and a walk through the Street of the Knights, the upper town or the lower town, all within the UNESCO property.
Visiting Medieval City of Rhodes: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Rhodes & South Aegean International Jazz Festival runs from 22 to 25 October 2026 at venues including the Palace of the Grand Master and the Church of the Virgin of the Burgh.
- The 24 October programme at the Church of the Virgin of the Burgh includes Yaremi Kordos and Roland Abreu, followed by the RIJF All-Star International Band.
- Medieval City of Rhodes is in Rhodes, Greece, and the UNESCO property is divided into a northern high town and a lower town to the south-west.
- The site includes a 4 km-long wall, the Street of the Knights, the Great Hospital and the Palace of the Grand Master.
- Greece uses Greek as its official language and the euro as its national currency.
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Frequently asked questions about Medieval City of Rhodes
When does the Rhodes jazz festival take place at Medieval City of Rhodes?
The Rhodes & South Aegean International Jazz Festival runs from 22 to 25 October 2026, with concerts at the Palace of the Grand Master and the Church of the Virgin of the Burgh.
What is Medieval City of Rhodes?
It is a fortified historic city whose upper town includes the Palace of the Grand Master, the Great Hospital and the Street of the Knights. UNESCO lists it as a World Heritage property.
Where is Medieval City of Rhodes and how do you get there?
It is in Rhodes, Greece, on the island of Rhodes. The historic area includes the northern high town and the lower town to the south-west, enclosed by a 4 km-long wall.
