Círculo de Jazz Festival

In February, when winter Setúbal is shrouded in soft Atlantic mist, sounds of saxophone, double bass, and piano burst from the doors of ancient churches, theater halls, and musical societies—the Circle of Jazz closes once again, transforming the city for ten days into a living jazz scene, where each concert hall becomes a point on the map of improvisation.

About the Festival

The Círculo de Jazz (Circle of Jazz) festival is an annual jazz festival held in Setúbal in the first half of February. In 2026, the 15th anniversary edition took place from February 5-14. The program included more than ten concerts at various cultural venues throughout the city.

The festival is organized by the Câmara Municipal de Setúbal (Setúbal Municipal Chamber) in partnership with Sociedade Musical Capricho Setubalense (Capricho Setubalense Musical Society)—one of the city’s oldest cultural institutions. This partnership is symbolic: municipal authorities and civil society jointly create a space for jazz—music that by its nature seeks dialogue and improvisation.

Name and Concept

The “Circle” Principle

The name Círculo de Jazz (Circle of Jazz) reflects the festival’s key concept: concerts take place at various venues throughout the city, forming a kind of “circle”—a route along which visitors move from one hall to another. Each venue has unique acoustics and atmosphere, and the same music sounds different in a baroque church, a modernist cinema, and a historic musical society.

This principle transforms the entire city into a single concert venue and encourages audiences to discover spaces they might never enter outside the festival context.

Jazz and Improvised Music

The Círculo de Jazz program is not limited to jazz in the narrow sense. The festival positions itself as a platform for jazz and improvised music in broad terms—from classic swing and bebop to avant-garde jazz, fusion, world music, and experimental projects at the intersection of genres.

Venues

Fórum Municipal Luísa Todi

Fórum Municipal Luísa Todi is Setúbal’s main concert hall, named after the great 18th-century singer born in the city. It’s a modern space with excellent acoustics, capable of accommodating several hundred spectators. The Forum’s stage hosts the festival’s main concerts—performances by stars of national and international stature.

Cinema Charlot—Auditório Municipal

Cinema Charlot is a municipal cinema-auditorium whose name refers to Charlie Chaplin. The intimate cinema atmosphere creates a special intimacy, ideal for solo and duo performances. The festival’s opening and international guest concerts take place here.

Igreja do Convento de Jesus

Igreja do Convento de Jesus (Church of the Convent of Jesus) is one of the most unusual concert halls not only in Setúbal but in all of Portugal. Built in the late 15th century, this Gothic-Manueline church has unique acoustics: stone vaults and columns stylized as ropes create natural reverberation, giving sound depth and volume. Jazz within the walls of a five-century-old church is an experience that cannot be reproduced in any modern hall.

Casa da Cultura

Casa da Cultura (House of Culture) is a municipal space for cultural events. Master classes, lectures, meetings with musicians, and ticket sales (passes) take place here.

Capricho Setubalense

Capricho Setubalense is a historic musical society, one of the festival’s organizing partners. This intimate space recalls jazz clubs: the stage is close to the audience, warm lighting, a sense of belonging to a narrow circle of connoisseurs. This is where Late Night Sessions at 11:00 PM take place—for those who want to continue the jazz evening after the main concert.

Program of the 15th Anniversary Edition (2026)

Opening: Jon Gomm

The festival opened on February 5 at 9:30 PM at Cinema Charlot with a performance by Jon Gomm—a British acoustic guitarist, singer, and composer known for his unique approach to acoustic guitar. Gomm uses percussive playing techniques on the instrument’s body, creating the illusion of multiple instruments sounding simultaneously.

Francisco Andrade Trio

On February 6, Francisco Andrade performed with his trio at Capricho Setubalense—a saxophonist and composer called “one of the central names of jazz on Madeira Island.”

Setúbal Jazz Orchestra

On February 13, the Orquestra de Jazz de Setúbal (Setúbal Jazz Orchestra) took the stage under the musical direction of Carlos Azevedo. Pianist, composer, and arranger Luís Figueiredo joined the orchestra to perform original compositions from the album “Se Por Acaso.” That same evening, at 11:00 PM, Miguel Ângelo Trio performed at Capricho Setubalense with a presentation of the album “Distopia.”

Closing: Maria João and Mário Laginha

The festival concluded on February 14—Valentine’s Day—with two concerts:

• 9:00 PM, Fórum Municipal Luísa Todi—Maria João and Mário Laginha, two titans of Portuguese jazz celebrating more than two decades of creative collaboration. Maria João is one of Europe’s brightest jazz vocalists, known for her expressive performance style and bold experiments. Mário Laginha is an outstanding pianist and winner of numerous awards.
• 11:00 PM, Capricho Setubalense—André Fernandes with the project “Motor II.”

Anniversary Exhibitions

To mark the festival’s 15th anniversary, two collective photo exhibitions were organized dedicated to the history of Círculo de Jazz—from the first modest concerts to the modern ten-day festival. The photographs documented performances, backstage moments, and the atmosphere of different years.

Tickets

The festival’s pricing policy is designed to ensure accessibility:

The pass for all concerts was sold until January 31 at Casa da Cultura and represented significant savings for those planning to attend multiple events.

Jazz de Verão—Summer Counterpart

In addition to the winter Círculo de Jazz, Setúbal hosts its summer counterpart—Jazz de Verão (Summer Jazz). In 2025, the 2nd edition of the festival took place July 25-27. The organizer is Setúbal Jazz School with support from the Municipal Chamber and radio station Antena 2.

The 2025 program included:

• July 25—PianoBatuque (pianist Pablo Lapidusas and drummer Joel Silva)
• July 26—Sofia Vitória with presentation of the album “By Love’s Soul”
• July 27—Cinema & Dintorni Trio (Massimo Cavalli, Ricardo Pinheiro, Jorge Moniz)—a program of themes by Italian film composers

Jazz de Verão complements the winter festival, creating two jazz poles in Setúbal’s annual cultural calendar: winter—intimate and large-scale, and summer—more relaxed and open.

Jazz in the Context of Setúbal’s Musical Culture

City as Musical Stage

Setúbal is a city with rich musical traditions. It gave the world Luísa Todi—the great opera singer of the 18th century, after whom the main concert hall is named. Setúbal is one of the centers of fado outside Lisbon, with its own tradition and school. José Afonso (Zeca Afonso)—author of “Grândola, Vila Morena,” anthem of the Carnation Revolution—is connected to Setúbal.

In this context, Círculo de Jazz fits into the city’s tradition as a place where music is born and performed. The festival does not introduce a foreign element but enriches the existing fabric of musical life with another dimension.

Role of Capricho Setubalense

Sociedade Musical Capricho Setubalense deserves special mention. This is one of the city’s oldest musical societies, whose activities extend far beyond the jazz festival. The society organizes concerts, master classes, and educational programs throughout the year, serving as a guardian of Setúbal’s musical culture.

Setúbal Jazz Orchestra

Orquestra de Jazz de Setúbal is an ensemble existing with municipal support and representing a permanent ensemble, not a one-time project. Under the direction of Carlos Azevedo, the orchestra performs throughout the year, but its appearance at Círculo de Jazz is a special event: it’s the moment when the local jazz school demonstrates its level alongside invited stars of national and international scale.

The existence of a permanent jazz orchestra in a city of about 120,000 inhabitants is not trivial. It testifies that jazz in Setúbal is not an imported product but a rooted tradition with its own infrastructure.

Educational Dimension

The festival is not limited to concerts. In several editions, jazz school meetings were held where young musicians from various educational institutions had the opportunity to perform, exchange experiences, and interact with professionals. Setúbal Jazz School, organizer of the summer Jazz de Verão, is also active within the winter festival.

This educational component ensures continuity: the festival not only presents jazz to the public but also forms a new generation of musicians for whom Setúbal is not a transit point but a place of professional development.

Why February?

“Off-Season” Strategy

The choice of February for a jazz festival is not accidental. Winter months are the low tourist season in Setúbal, and cultural events during this period aim to enliven urban life and attract visitors during the “dead” season. Círculo de Jazz fulfills precisely this function: it becomes a reason to come to Setúbal in winter, when the city appears in a different light—quieter, more intimate, suitable for contemplative leisure and music.

Atmosphere of the Winter City

Winter Setúbal has a special charm: soft Atlantic light, deserted waterfronts, warm cafés overlooking the Sado. Jazz fits perfectly into this atmosphere—evening concerts in historic spaces, dinner at a fish restaurant, a walk through the old town. The festival does not compete with summer mass events but offers a fundamentally different format—intimate, thoughtful, aimed at connoisseurs.

Practical Information

• Dates: First two weeks of February (in 2026—February 5-14)
• Venues: Fórum Municipal Luísa Todi, Cinema Charlot, Igreja do Convento de Jesus, Casa da Cultura, Capricho Setubalense
• Tickets: 5-10 euros per concert or 35 euros for a pass
• Recommendations: Purchase pass in advance; don’t miss late concerts at Capricho Setubalense—they have an intimate atmosphere; when attending a concert at Igreja do Convento de Jesus—pay attention to the church architecture (twisted rope-columns are a masterpiece of Manueline style)
• Good to know: February in Setúbal is mild (10-15 degrees) but can be rainy; an umbrella won’t hurt

Notes

[UNVERIFIED] The exact year of the festival’s founding—presumably 2011 or 2012—requires clarification. The 15th edition in 2026, considering a possible pandemic break, may indicate various dates for the first edition.

See Also

• Luísa Todi—Great Singer
• Monastery of Jesus
• Fado in Setúbal
• Setúbal Festival Calendar