Move over Nashville, Serbia's Nisville (pronounced Nishville) is Europe's hippest music festival! Some of the world's most influential jazz artists will descend on the city of Nis (pronounced Nish) for Nisville International Jazz Festival, which this year is celebrating its 21st birthday.

Held alfresco in a Turkish fortress and attracting 100,000 visitors, this four-day event, 13th – 16th August, is the largest and most-visited jazz festival in south eastern Europe. Featuring 90 concerts, 600 performers and 10 stages, this year's artists include Grammy Award winning tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, prominent jazz and world music singer Carmen Souza, jazz pianistMonty Alexander and founders of the British acid jazz scene Incognito.

The main programme focuses on the Earth and Sky stages in the fortress with supporting free events at stages around the city. Visitors can also take part in free Nisville Jazz Workshop, where the Festival's world-famous performers become the teachers.

A four-day ticket costs 25 euros per person purchased in advance, or 30 euros purchased at the Festival.

ABOUT NIS

Nis, located in southern Serbia, is one of the Balkans' oldest cities and is the third largest city in Serbia. It is renowned as the birthplace of Constantine The Great – the first Christian emperor, and is surrounded by three mountain ranges – Suva, Svrljig and Selicevica. Nis has a fortress built in turn by the Romans, Byzantines and Serbs and is renowned as a wine region, visited for its spas, with activities that include caving, paragliding, rafting, mountain biking, free climbing and hiking.

See Serbia Travel for more information on Nis:

HOW TO GET THERE

Nis can easily reached from Belgrade in under two hours by car, driving all the way on motorway, while Belgrade is served by direct Air Serbia flights from Heathrow and Wizz Air flights from Luton.

The Grand Hotel Nis  is currently running a summer offer – the price of a three-night/four-day, Friday to Monday stay starts from 119 euros per person. This price includes:

• Accommodation on a b/b basis
• A dinner and welcome drink
• A guided city tour with additional, separate tours to the spa and vineyards
• Free Wi-Fi in the hotel

 For further information please contact Jovanka Ristich on +44 (0) 7889 425 725 or Jovanka@ipr-online.co.uk