Hua Hin International Jazz Festival 2025 schedule announced
Two nights of live music will return to the beachfront this month after organisers announced the full Hua Hin International Jazz Festival 2025 programme, bringing Thai and international artists to Hua Hin Beach on 19–20 December.
The festival, now in its 19th year, will take place in front of the Centara Hotel and will feature a wide range of jazz styles, from acoustic and swing to jazz fusion, R&B and Latin jazz. Performances are scheduled across both evenings, with free public access expected as in previous years.
A central feature of this year’s Hua Hin International Jazz Festival 2025 programme is a special tribute titled In Our Hearts Forever, held in remembrance of His Majesty King Rama IX and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother. The tribute will include vocal and instrumental performances of royal compositions, presented during the opening ceremony on Friday evening.
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The festival will open at 6.10pm on Friday, 19 December, with a classical guitar performance by students of Kru Keng, followed by a DJ set from Masaomi Fukurono. The official opening ceremony and candle-lighting will begin at 7pm, leading into the themed tribute show featuring Koh Mr.Saxman alongside Mint Ardhawadee, Dale Barlow, Zems Singh, Syd Wethaka and Lukasz Kurzydlo.
Friday’s programme also includes Thai contemporary music, a progressive synthesiser solo by Doru Apreotesei, and a late-night jazz fusion party bringing together more than 10 performers from Thailand and overseas.
Saturday’s performances begin at 6pm with the Saxsocity Ensemble, followed by acoustic jazz and vocals from Syd Wethaka and Jakob Dinesen. The evening continues with the YUSU Jazz Band led by Yuri Kishimoto, performing Dixieland and swing jazz, before moving into a large-scale Jazz R&B All Star Super Band set featuring artists from Thailand’s music and television scene alongside international musicians.
Later highlights include a saxophone summit featuring Dale Barlow, Yuri Kishimoto, SANPOND and Jakob Dinesen, and a closing performance by Siam Cubano with Cuban singer Lilly Valdez and Mitch Frohman, bringing Latin jazz influences to the final hour of the festival.
Organisers said international artists travelling to Hua Hin this year are performing across multiple formats and collaborations, giving audiences the chance to experience different interpretations of jazz across the two nights.
The Hua Hin International Jazz Festival has become one of the city’s longest-running cultural events and continues to attract both local residents and visitors to the beachfront each December.
The Hua Hin International Jazz Festival 2025 programme runs on Friday 19 December and Saturday 20 December on Hua Hin Beach, in front of the Centara Hotel.
Hua Hin International Jazz Festival 2025 schedule
A key feature of the Hua Hin International Jazz Festival 2025 programme is the opening tribute In Our Hearts Forever, held in remembrance of His Majesty King Rama IX and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother. The tribute will include performances of royal compositions during the opening ceremony on Friday evening.
Friday, 19 December
• 18.10–18.30
Hua Hin Guitar / Classical Guitar – students of Kru Keng
• 18.30–19.00
DJ Masaomi Fukurono
• 19.00
Opening ceremony and candle-lighting in remembrance of His Majesty King Rama IX and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother
Highlight performance: In Our Hearts Forever – royal compositions by Koh Mr.Saxman
• 19.10–19.50
Festival theme show In Our Hearts Forever
Royal compositions by King Rama IX
Performed by Koh Mr.Saxman, Mint Ardhawadee, Dale Barlow, Zems Singh, Syd Wethaka and Lukasz Kurzydlo
• 20.15–20.35
Morakot Mai Phonbai Band – Thai contemporary music
• 20.40–20.55
Doru Apreotesei – progressive synthesiser solo
• 21.00–22.30
Hua Hin International Jazz Party
Pom Autobahn, Koh Mr.Saxman, Ford Sobchai, Dale Barlow, Doru Apreotesei, Sherry Shi, Dr Jo, Jakob Dinesen, Yasmin Kierkegaard and Lukasz Kurzydlo
Jazz fusion party
Saturday, 20 December
• 18.00–18.20
Saxsocity Ensemble – saxophone ensemble
• 18.45–19.15
Syd Wethaka and Jakob Dinesen – acoustic jazz and vocals
• 19.40–20.20
YUSU Jazz Band led by Yuri Kishimoto – Dixieland and swing jazz
• 20.30–21.30
Jazz R&B All Star Super Band
Featuring Jay Thepsathit Na Ayutthaya, Mee The Star, Opal and Kaimook (The Voice Pride), Dale Barlow, Jakob Dinesen, Yasmin Kierkegaard, Doru Apreotesei, Zems Singh, Syd Wethaka, Mitch Frohman and Dr Jo
Jazz and R&B fusion
• 21.35–21.50
Saxophone Summit
Featuring Dale Barlow, Yuri Kishimoto, SANPOND and Jakob Dinesen
• 22.00–23.00
Siam Cubano
Featuring Lilly Valdez (Cuba) and Mitch Frohman
Cuban Latin jazz