As of March 9th, 2026 it has been announced the XJazz! Festival in Berlin has been cancelled due to a lack of funding. The festival’s cancellation means that the city of Berlin will be missing out on 60-80 planned concerts, around 40 of which would have featured Berlin-based artists.
According to the festival’s website, despite having a budget line approved by parliament, delayed funding decisions and budget cuts have resulted in festival cancellation. The festival claims that funding had been approved in December 2025 by the Berlin House of Representatives, so they had already begin preparations for this year when they received notification of the finalised decision to deny funding. The situation the festival is facing is not unique to this edition. Festival organisers have faced financial issues for years due to the funding process they have relied on not going according to plan for many years, and many of the organisers have born the burden of damages caused by funding mishaps.
The festival is calling for support from the public in hopes of making a clear statement that the festival matters to the city, and of reforming funding structures in Berlin for the future.
For more information from the festival directly, visit their news section.
