Demo instead of parade: Dresden jazz fans are making a virtue of necessity and replacing the canceled closing parade of the Dixieland Festival on Sunday with a gathering on the Terrassenufer - at the same hour, in the same place and with bands that have travelled to the festival.
The organizers had cancelled the street parade because, in their opinion, the city council's requirements came too late and could no longer be implemented. "Parade canceled! Jazz all the more!" is now the slogan.
Dresden claims to host the oldest and largest festival for traditional jazz and therefore confidently describes itself as the "world capital of Dixieland". 44 bands and soloists from eight countries have traveled to the 54th edition. A total of 275 hours of live music are planned on 58 stages.
The festival is expecting up to 300,000 visitors. Several concerts will take place in the open air with free admission. However, due to cool temperatures, wind and rain, weatherproof clothing is required in the coming days.
On Wednesday evening, the "Riverboat Shuffle" on the Elbe should be a highlight of the festival. Historic paddle steamers and other ships from the Saxon Steamship Company will set sail from the Terrassenufer as a Dixie fleet. Also on the program for Wednesday is the "Dixieland ABC" for children in the circular cinema. Thursday sees the start of the free Jazz Mile, with bands playing in many places in the city center.
"Dresden and this festival have been a promise to each other for 54 years. That's an obligation, and that's what drives us," emphasized festival spokesperson Hendrik Meyer. The festival wants to preserve its tradition. "But we never stop being curious: about bands like Mama Shakers, who show that this music still has a future ahead of it, and about new formats like the Prohibition Party, in which young bands and artists don't reconstruct the heyday of our music, but bring it back to life," said Meyer.
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