UPDATE

Hua Hin International Jazz Festival 2025 now taking place 19-20 December 2025

The Hua Hin International Jazz Festival 2025 will return to Hua Hin Beach on 28–29 November, bringing two evenings of international and Thai jazz performances to one of the city’s most iconic seaside venues.

Now in its 19th year, the festival is organised by Hua Hin City Municipality in partnership with Jazz Alive Showbiz Co., Ltd., Hubster Co., Ltd., and a range of local businesses.

First reported in June, preparations were discussed at a meeting chaired by Deputy Mayor Busaba Choksuchat on 2 October in the Naresdamri Room of Hua Hin Municipality Office. Attendees included Sub. Lt. Likhit Nunin, Deputy Municipal Clerk; officials from the municipality; representatives from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (Prachuap Office) and the Hua Hin–Cha-am Tourism Business Association; and renowned saxophonist “Koh Mr. Saxman,” among others.

Jazz Week to bring music to key Hua Hin landmarks

The meeting reviewed key aspects of the festival, including the event format, venue layout, traffic and parking arrangements, safety measures, and sanitation. Organisers also outlined plans for a “Jazz Week” from 22–27 November, which will feature performances and activities at locations around the city such as the Royal Hua Hin Golf Course, the Clock Tower, Hua Hin Night Market, and Hua Hin Airport. The initiative aims to create a city-wide jazz atmosphere in the lead-up to the main festival.

The Hua Hin International Jazz Festival 2025 will feature more than 20 performances across two stages — one at the Hua Hin beach exit and the other in front of Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin. Concerts will run from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. each evening.

International artists in this year’s line-up include Mitch Frohman (USA), Dale Barrow (Australia), Jakob Dinesen (Denmark), Steve Cannon (USA), Yuri Kishimoto (Japan), and Yazzrnin Kierkegaard (Denmark). Thai performers include Pom Autobahn, Ko Mister Saxman, The Sound of Siarn, Maew Jirasuk Panphum, Soul After Six, and Cheepchanok Sriyamat.

Organisers expect more than 20,000 visitors from Thailand and abroad. The festival, long established as one of Hua Hin’s cultural highlights, also reflects the city’s historical links with jazz. Hua Hin was home to Klai Kangwon Palace, closely associated with His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, who was a passionate jazz musician and composer.

This year’s edition aims to promote Hua Hin as a destination for high-quality tourism, position the festival as a permanent feature on the international jazz calendar, and strengthen Hua Hin’s reputation as a city of music, art, and culture. Alongside the music, 30 booths will offer food, drinks, and local products, with participation from local hotels and businesses.

A press conference to launch the event is scheduled for 29 October from 4–6 p.m. on Hua Hin Beach in front of Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin. Entry to the festival is free.

Artist biographies – Hua Hin International Jazz Festival 2025

Mitch Frohman (USA)

A Bronx native, Mitch Frohman is recognised as one of the leading Latin jazz saxophonists and flautists. He spent 25 years as a soloist with Tito Puente’s orchestra and has performed with Mongo Santamaria, Celia Cruz, Eddie Palmieri, Paquito D’Rivera, and many more. Beyond jazz and salsa, his credits include Paul Simon, David Byrne, and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Frohman currently tours worldwide with the Grammy-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra and leads his own Latin-Jazz Quartet. His signature saxophone solo can be heard on the theme song of Sex & the City.

Dale Barlow (Australia)

Sydney-born saxophonist and flautist Dale Barlow has been a fixture of the international jazz scene since the 1980s. He performed with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and the Cedar Walton Quartet in New York, and has worked with legends such as Sonny Stitt, Chet Baker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Wynton Marsalis. Barlow has also been active in the UK, playing at Ronnie Scott’s and with groups such as Loose Tubes. In Australia and Southeast Asia, he has collaborated with leading musicians across genres, making him one of the region’s most versatile jazz artists.

Jakob Dinesen (Denmark)

Jakob Dinesen is among Denmark’s most celebrated tenor saxophonists, with two Danish Grammys for Best Jazz Album and the prestigious Jazzpar Award to his name. Known for both straight-ahead and modern jazz, he has recorded with drummer Paul Motian and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, and toured extensively in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Dinesen’s collaborations span jazz greats like Eddie Gomez and Steve Swallow as well as African and Cuban musicians, reflecting his broad musical outlook.

Steve Cannon (USA/Thailand)

Trumpeter Steve Cannon developed his career in Los Angeles as a studio and live musician, working across jazz, salsa, pop, and television. He has shared stages with Arturo Sandoval, David Sanborn, The Temptations, and The Four Tops, and has recorded for film and TV productions. After years performing in Portland, Oregon, Cannon relocated to Bangkok, where he regularly appears at The Living Room jazz club and collaborates with Koh Mr. Saxman at festivals across Southeast Asia.

Yuri Kishimoto (Japan/Thailand)

Yuri Kishimoto is a Japanese saxophonist and flautist who has performed at major jazz festivals across Asia, including Taipei, Nagoya, and Sendai. A graduate of Senzoku Gakuen College of Music, she has toured internationally as a member of the Asian Youth Jazz Orchestra. Now based in Bangkok, she is a regular performer at leading venues such as Saxophone Pub and FooJohn and teaches jazz performance and arranging at Silpakorn University.

Pom Autobahn (Thailand)

Pom Autobahn rose to prominence in the early 1990s as part of the Thai jazz band Autobahn, which released two albums with Kita Records. Known for tracks such as ทนได้ทนไป and แด่เธอ, Pom has also contributed to soundtracks and other projects, including the song แค่ฝันถึงฉัน from the film บ้านผูกวิญญาณ. Today, he continues to be associated with Thailand’s jazz and pop crossover scene.

Koh Mr. Saxman (Thailand)

One of Thailand’s most recognisable jazz musicians, Koh Mr. Saxman has performed in more than ten countries and recorded five solo albums. A graduate of Chulalongkorn University, he has also won awards including the Coke Music Award for Best Outstanding Musician and the Nescafe Music Festival. Known for his energetic live performances, Koh has become a central figure in Thailand’s contemporary jazz movement.

Maew Jirasuk Panphum (Thailand)

Maew Jirasuk Panphum is a Thai singer, songwriter, and composer with a strong following across music platforms. His work spans television drama soundtracks, popular albums, and widely streamed singles. Highlights include ทางใครทางมัน from the series Tawan Tat Burapha, ไม่อยากตาย (You Saved Me), and เยาวราช, which has more than 90 million views on YouTube. He is also active as an arranger and collaborator with other Thai artists.