Launched in 1996, Jazz Cerkno Festival is an annual festival organised by Gabrijel Fest, which also runs the Keltika International Festival. Festival events take place in the square next to Pr Gabrijelu ('At Gabriel’s') bar, headquarters of Gabrijel Fest and a venue which has hosted several international high-quality music projects.

Jazz Cerkno mixes acoustic, electric and electro-acoustic sounds, joining pianos and accordions, saxophones and clarinets with electric guitars and synthesizers to create a joyful sound. Traditional and avant-garde jazz can be heard alongside imaginative folk music, ethno/trance, post-rock and rock-in-opposition. Ancient chants as well as ultramodern computer-generated music is also featured. There are concerts, jam sessions, workshops, a magic show and an exhibition of sculptures, as well as displays of photographs taken at previous festivals.

Artists appearing at Jazz Cerkno since 1996 include Peter Brotzman, Ken Vandermark, Mats Gustafsson, Steven Bernstein and SEX MOB, Fred Frith, Francesco Cusa, Myra Melford, Aki Takase, Paul Lovens, Eugene Chadbourne, Rudi Mahall, Larry Ochs, Mia Masaoka, Werner Ludi, Antonio Marangolo, Ares Tavolazzi, Zlatko Kaučič and Milko Lazar, as well as photographer Žiga Koritnik (cf photos at his website http://www.ljudmila.org/scca/koritnik).