Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — Local tourism authorities say in order to revamp the annual jazz festival, it has been postponed for a year. Toni Chaves, President of the Riviera Maya Hotel Association, says the annual beach event will not be held during its normal November 2024 time slot due to restructuring.
A large part of this restructuring is due to the death of its organizer Fernanod Toussaint. Toussaint was the founding organizer of the event since its inauguration 20 years ago.
Toussaint passed away in early February of 2024 in a Playa del Carmen hospital. The man known as a drummer, studio musician, music producer and eternal jazz lover has not yet been replaced.
According to Chaves, the festival had been attracting fewer and fewer people in recent years, which is another reason for the revamp. He says in order to recover the prestige achieved during its first editions, the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival will enter a restructuring phase.
Chaves noted that in its beginnings, the jazz festival was quickly recognized thanks to the quality of the artists that were presented, however, over the years it lost its ability to attract people.
“What we did was give it a break for a year, restructure it, analyze it well and relaunch it as it should be,” he said.
He says they are already working with the State Tourism Promotion Council (CPTQ) to revitalize it. During the revamping, Playa del Carmen mayor Estefanía Mercado, and the Secretary of Tourism also participate.
Riviera Maya News reached out to the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival for a comment on the rescheduling, but no one has responded.
