History
Considered one of the 10 best jazz festivals in the world and the only one to offer free admission to all its concerts, the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival is an important event that takes place year after year at the end of November and at the beginning of December, in Playa del Carmen.
Since 2003, this festival has welcomed world-class artists, who come to this paradise of the Mexican Caribbean to spread happiness and delight the attendees, with the most vibrant rhythms. Some of the celebrities that have perform on our stage include: Earth Wind and Fire, Kool & the Gang, George Duke, Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin, Norah Jones, UB-40, Celso Piña, George Benson, Marcus Miller and Armando Manzanero; just to name a few.
The Jazz Festival was created due to the necessity give “Playa” its own cultural identity, creating an event with national and international impact.
That is why in autumn of 2003, Fernando Toussaint (drummer and producer, founder of the band Aguamala), Jean Agarraista (President of the Hotel Association of the Riviera Maya 2004-2018) and Martin Ruiz, who was at that time the Director of the Riviera Maya Tourism Board, got the brilliant idea of holding the first-ever jazz festival under the name of Latin Jazz Festival, which was later changed to its actual name: —Riviera Maya Jazz Festival—- to reflect its inclusive and international character.
Playa Mamita’s Beach Club has been the perfect venue welcoming more than 60,000 jazz fans that get together for 3 days to celebrate and enjoy the best of music, under a starry sky, listening to the gentle swaying of the waves in the background.
This year we are celebrating 19 uninterrupted editions, overcoming any type of challenges and contingencies that have been presented over the years.
Now that you know the history of the most important music festival in the Mexican Caribbean, we invite you to be part of our 2021 edition, where we will say “once again.”