ABOUT

OFFest was established in 2002 as a second festival, which grew up from the long-established tradition of the Skopje Jazz Festival. The main idea was to create another important music event in a different period of the year, and in terms of music genres, more wide-oriented. It was natural to start OFFest in the decades of full globalization that resulted in raising creativity, popularity, and awareness of the so-called "world music". OFFest presents a variety of music from all continents, focusing on different categories, from traditional, ethno, folk, roots, to urban, contemporary and experimental music styles. A lot of renowned artists from all over the world performed throughout OFFest history. Alongside big-name acts in the world and indigenous music scenes, in our third decade, our mission remains - to rediscover and introduce less well-known musical styles and traditions, and to explore the intersection between old and new. OFFest is a member of the prestigious Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals (FWMF), a network of festivals sharing the vision that the world is a patchwork of a multitude of local traditions and music, each different in expression and content yet equal in value. OFFest is organized by the non-governmental, non-profit cultural organization Skopje Jazz Festival.