Above: American singer-songwriter Erykah Badu.

Scheduled from March 2 to 4, the 8th Java Jazz Festival promises to be the biggest one to date. The annual event, which will take place at Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran, is one of the largest jazz festivals in the world. This year 18 stages will play host to over 1,500 artists (around 80 acts per day).

“We believe that music is the language of the world, something that can unite people in harmony,” said the event’s founder and chairman Peter F Gontha. “I always want [Jakarta] to be the mecca of jazz, changing the world’s jazz destination to this country.”

Java Jazz 2012 boasts an impressive line up that includes some of the finest jazz musicians in the world, such as Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Al Jarreau, and Erykah Badu. And this year the music legend Stevie Wonder is expected to call in to say “I love you.”

But it’s not just international acts. Over a hundred Indonesian musicians will also show the crowd what they’re made of. Abdul and The Coffee Theory, Monita Tahalea Quartet, and Mailq & D’Essentials will be just some of the home-grown talent taking to the festival’s stages.

Get more information about Java Jazz 2012 Festival here.