the rio das ostras jazz & blues festival began as a series of concerts held on local beaches in 2001 and 2002.

after consistently positive receptions, the events developed into what is now recognized as one of the premier festivals of its type in the world, attracting top international acts such as vernon reid, john hammond, and victor wooten - in addition to some of the best musicians in brazil.

in its latest edition, the festival featured 28 free concerts in the span of five days at the end of may. performances are divided between outdoor stages at iriry, praia da tartaruga, costazul, praça são pedro, and praça josé ferreira.