The Tunisia Guide

Tabarka Jazz Festival Returns After Six-Year Hiatus

· 2 min read · News
The Genoese fort and coral-coloured rooftops of Tabarka on Tunisia's northwestern coast

Contents

  1. 1.The Lineup
  2. 2.What Tabarka Offers
  3. 3.Getting There

The Tabarka International Jazz Festival is back. The 20th edition opened on 3 July 2026 after a six-year hiatus, running through 9 July at the seafront Théâtre de la Mer in Tabarka, Tunisia’s northwestern coastal town. The festival draws an international lineup with a strong connection to jazz, world music, and Afrobeat, and represents one of the most compelling reasons to visit the north of the country in summer.

The Lineup

Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodríguez opened the series on 3 July. The remaining programme includes American gospel-jazz singer Liz McComb, the legendary Dee Dee Bridgewater presenting her project We Exist, Tunisian-American saxophonist Yacine Boulares performing alongside Algerian singer Soufiane Saidi, Lebanese pianist Tarek Yamani, and Cuban vocalist Raoul Paz.

A parallel Street Jazz programme runs daytime in Tabarka’s public spaces, bringing the festival into the town itself rather than confining it to the main stage.

What Tabarka Offers

Tabarka is a small town with a disproportionately good offer for visitors. The clear Mediterranean water here supports some of the best coral diving in Tunisia, the pine-forested hills behind the town make it noticeably cooler than the central coast in summer, and the Genoese fort on the rocky promontory is one of the country’s most striking coastal structures.

The combination of a seafront festival venue, accessible beaches, and the old town’s relaxed atmosphere makes the first week of July an unusually good moment to be in Tabarka. Accommodation is limited — the town has a handful of hotels and a growing number of guesthouses — so booking early is advisable for the festival period.

Getting There

Tabarka is roughly 175 km west of Tunis, typically 2.5 to 3 hours by louage (shared taxi). There are also direct charter flights from European cities during summer, and the town has a small airport, Habib Bourguiba Tabarka. For visitors based in Tunis, see our day trips from Tunis guide for route planning options across the north.

July is the hottest month in Tunisia, but Tabarka’s elevation and northern position moderate temperatures compared to the southern coast. For a full picture of conditions across the year, see our best time to visit Tunisia guide.

The festival’s return after six years makes this a stronger-than-usual reason to explore the northwestern corner of the country.