Jazz & Blues Festival 2026 Programme Announced
Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival’s 2026 edition is ready to electrify the city with ten days of world-class music. The festival offers a genre-spanning celebration - from bebop to boogie-woogie, funk to soul, trad to hip-hop, swing to searing blues-rock. There is something for every musical mood in this year’s programme. From Fri 17 – Sun 26 July, the festival will feature:
- More than 100 concerts taking place across the city
- An incredible line-up of jazz and blues artists from around the globe
- Showcasing the best of homegrown jazz and blues musicians
- Mardi Gras returns to Edinburgh’s Grassmarket
- Edinburgh Festival Carnival – Edinburgh’s largest multi-cultural event
- Edinburgh Napier University Jazz Summer School
- A host of interactive events including kid's shows and talks
No other festival covers jazz and blues, across all the styles, with such depth and quality, and with so many unique events. Acclaimed American saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, legendary band The Bad Plus, Louisianan blues star D.K. Harrell, mesmerising Italian singer Simona Parrinello and French guitarist Nguyên Lê are some of the international stars that audiences can look forward to. These names join the previously announced gigs from New Orleans’ Tuba Skinny, American festival favourites Davina and The Vagabonds and Jerron Paxton, a celebration of world music in an Afrobeat Party [image below], and a tribute concert in memory of Edinburgh pianist Brian Kellock.
This year, the festival focusses on jazz from the Netherlands through our SPARK showcase. The programme features the introspective piano of Harmen Fraanje to the genre-blurring duo of Jesse van Ruller and Maarten Hogenhuis, the cross-cultural sound of Peter Somuah, and the theatrical energy of Ponga. Vocalist Carolina Gemmell and pianist Evan van der Feen centre their partnership on improvisation, while new collaborations highlight the power of artistic exchange, with Femke Mooren joining Ali Watson, Greg Irons and Simon Herberholz.
The festival partners with Edition Records to showcase three of their artists: guitarist Rob Luft, Belgian trombonist Nabou Claerhout, and pianist Sultan Stevenson, alongside a talk exploring the music of Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær. Founded in 2008 by Dave Stapleton, Edition Records has grown into one of Europe’s most respected independent jazz labels. The Edition catalogue has attracted widespread acclaim across the world and spans a wide spectrum of contemporary jazz, reflecting both emerging talent and internationally recognised artists.
Scottish artists are the beating heart of the programme, with an array of new and exciting bands, projects and commissions including Seonaid Aitken’s follow up to her award-winning Chasing Sakura; Fergus McCreadie playing a series of duo gigs with his musical heroes, and Konrad Wiszniewski celebrating his Scottish and Polish roots. The festival will also see new projects from GAÏA, Norman&Corrie, Mantis Ensemble, Finlay Mackenzie and Matt Carmichael, supported by Creative Scotland through the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund.
EJBF prides itself on promoting live events all over the city with highlights including Canadian singer Michelle Willis in Meadowbank, award-winning blues guitarist Martin Harley in Oxgangs, and a jazz party at The Pitt in Granton. These venues join the core portfolio of George Square Spiegeltent and Piccolo tent, St Bride's Centre, The Jazz Bar and The Queen’s Hall.
And there's plenty of free shows as well. As part of a series of interactive events, the festival presents Sue McKenzie’s Jazz For Kids workshops as well as and Tenement Jazz Band for Kids interactive shows, as well as talks, jam sessions and more.
The Mardi Gras [image above, credit Ben Glasgow] brings a free afternoon of non-stop entertainment to Edinburgh’s Grassmarket on Saturday 18 July. Bands will perform across multiple stages throughout the afternoon, bringing a taste of New Orleans to the heart of historic Edinburgh.
The Edinburgh Festival Carnival, Scotland’s largest and most flamboyant multicultural event, returns to the city centre on Sunday 19 July with over 800 participants from across the globe and from the heart of Edinburgh.