On September 5, MCV listened to the conversation How to apply for the trade fair and festival jazzahead! 2026
The seminar was supported by GAC, the Swedish Arts Council, Exms, Musikcentrum Sweden, STIM and Svensk Jazz. Take a look at the tips and tricks below if you're interested in applying to play at the fair next year, when Sweden is a partner country!
Invited guests: Götz Bühler and Sybille Kornitschky from jazzahead!
Moderated by Ebba Westerberg
General, introduction:
-Jazzahead will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2026 with now approx. 3000 visitors from 60 nations.
-jazzahead! is a trade fair with showcases, but there is also a more traditional festival part connected to the fair all around the city, at 35 different venues.
-jazzahead! selects a partner country that specifically relates to showcases: 8 slots are now available for Swedish acts for 2026.
Tips from the organizers:
-The delegate list is important to use to communicate. Also leave space in the schedule for more spontaneous meetings.
-Check out the acts that have previously played over the years, to get a little hint about how to approach the fair in general.
-Visual elements are important, consider having high-resolution press images and live material.
-There is an advantage to doing gigs around the dates of the fair itself, i.e. rather than not being allowed to compete with more gigs, it is encouraged by jazzahead.
-Don't wait to apply for a showcase at the fair, it is common for the first applications to end up "top of mind" with the jury.
How to apply to play?
-Step 1: Register!
-Don't see the fair as another chance one gig; it is a whole together with the conference and trade fair part. Make the most of your time and be there during the days! Make sure to use the global network, regardless of whether you play or not.
-Apply to ExMS about becoming a “co-exhibitor”.
-There are two categories in the application: “Professional participants” (individuals) and “Exhibitors” (companies/organizations, such as ExMS that have a stand on site)
-Deadline is on October 8st for the application for the fair in 2026.
-There is a refund system for applications if you are no longer going or have been selected; you should then cancel your booking shortly after the announcement of the selected acts. and then you can get about 30% back.
-You can apply individually, so you don't have to be an exhibitor or organization, but it's not stupid to apply through a larger network/organization/company. Only 1 application is valid (so that you don't double-apply).
-The application procedure is divided into 4 modules:
1.German
2. Partner country (Sweden in this case)
3. Europe
4. “Overseas”.
You are therefore searching within a specific module.
For example: If you are a quintet where three live in Sweden and the others abroad, you apply for the Swedish module.
-At least 1 person from a selected act should stay during the fair for networking and to take advantage of the opportunity.
-You don't get paid to play.
-In the application, you fill in whether you have applied for funding from your home country to play.
Selection criteria and jury ranking:
-You don't have to be new to the industry, they're not just looking for "new shooting stars". However, current and newly released music are key. They're looking for something they haven't heard before.
-They are looking for “current projects”, for example, it is not that interesting if you have been touring with the same program for several years.
-A discussion arose around the question: What is eg. a current project? You can have released an album within 1,5 years and played a lot around, and it can still be considered a current act. Accessibility and professionalism are highly valued. They call it “internationally tour ready” (i.e. export ready).
-The jury listens to EVERYTHING that comes in. There is a jury specifically for the Swedish acts (i.e. one jury for each module).
-Gender and geographical aspects are taken into account, among others.
-The jury members at the fair are changed every year. Two of the jury members are from Sweden this time.
Other questions:
Is it worth trying to play in Bremen even if you don't get a showcase?
-Yes! There are also “club nights”. These are different venues that curate their own programs, although there is a certain influence from the main organizers.
-Tip: There will be a specific “Swedish club night” during the upcoming fair.
Can you have as many people in your group/act come and play as you want?
-You can absolutely come and play as a big band, but it's a bit about planning for future events (if it would be possible to continue touring as a big band — in other words, it might be "hard to book" to continue touring in such a constellation). The festival format can otherwise be a good stage for big bands/groups.
Can you apply even if you haven't released anything new yet, but it's on the way?
Yes, it's fine to apply with, for example, live material and be on track with a release within the first half of next year.
Other:
-The “grand opening” with a Swedish theme takes place on the evening of April 22. April 23-25 are the actual showcase days.
Get in touch if you want to know more or brainstorm ideas with us at the office and good luck with your applications! ✨🔥
/MCV
