The jewel in the crown of the Veneto Jazz calendar is the Venice Jazz Festival in its third season scheduled for July 23 – August 1, 2010. The line-up includes a series of concerts in the prestigious Teatro La Fenice, in Piazza San Marco and in other significant areas around the city, with a carnet of collateral events that will take place in locations and in the public “campi” around Venice, using a formula of audience involvement in varying hours of the day and night. Artists of international fame, emerging talent, innovative offerings of the jazz scene alongside top headliners, Venice Jazz Festival is the high point of the city’s cultural programs, having already hosted stars like Bobby McFerrin, Wynton Marsalis and Paolo Conte. From the showcase of selected record labels at Teatro La Fenice to aperitivo-time, live at Rialto, to jazz lunch & dinner in selected Venetian hotels, from concerts in traditional theaters, to late night DJ sets in nightclubs and learning workshops. The artistic offerings aren’t limited to music , but are enhanced by art exhibits, readings, themed conferences and culinary experiences to climax in spectacular events in one of the most stunning piazzas on the planet. The appeal of the locations and above all, the outstanding program encompassing the best of national and world jazz have already crowned this as one of the top global engagements of its kind. Among the artists on tap for the latest edition are: Pat Metheny Group, Norah Jones, Paco de Lucia.