Marciac's name carries a lot of weight these days. At its ancient cultural roots, it is a 13th-century bastide (fortified town) located in the Gers, right at the heart of Gascony in the Southwest of France, frequently remembered as the home of Armagnac, foie gras and good living. In modern times, however, it has become better known to all as the European capital of jazz thanks to its annual Jazz in Marciac festival. Every year during the first two weeks of August, Marciac, a little village of 1,500 inhabitants, celebrates jazz by welcoming to town the world's greatest musicians and more than 200,000 festival goers. Through meetings, reunions and impromptu concerts, Jazz in Marciac offers a multi-track and brilliant program that includes the likes of Keith Jarret, Diana Krall, Joe Cocker, Paco de Lucia, George Benson, Roberto Fonseca, Diana Reeves, Richard Galliano and, of course Wynton Marsalis, the festival's patron! Whether under the big top, in Astrada or on the main square at the center of the village, it doesn't matter what time of day or night, there's jazz music to be heard. Concerts continue all year round at Astrada, the superb entertainment center opened in 2011
