ArtistDirect News
TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival 2026: Free Mainstage, Ticketed Highlights, and a Citywide Jazz Celebration
From June 16 to 21, the TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival will ignite the historic Exchange District, turning Old Market Square into a pulsating stage that rivals a New Orleans street parade. Jazz Winnipeg’s artistic director Zachary Rushing says the lineup delivers “phenomenal dance and groove music” and brings acts from around the world to the city’s heart.
International stars slated for the mainstage include Ontario’s five‑piece Shebad, whose sound blends Amy Winehouse’s soul with Daft Punk’s electronic edge; Montreal drummer‑composer Salin, who fuses Northern Thai rhythms with 1970s West African psychedelia; and Hungary’s fusion group Djabe. Executive director Angela Heck notes that these performances draw more than 30,000 visitors each year and boost downtown hotels, breweries, and food vendors.
Ticketed shows will light up venues across the city. Wednesday, June 17, world‑class vocalist Molly Johnson will grace Desautels Concert Hall, while Winnipeg’s Soul Supreme, led by Keisha Booker, takes the stage at the Burton Cummings Theatre. Thursday, June 18, a scaled‑down version of Australia’s Cat Empire will appear at the West End Cultural Centre. Friday, June 19, the Jason Marsalis Quartet will perform at Desautels, and Sunday, June 21, the Miles Electric Band will headline the Burton Cummings Theatre.
The Miles Electric Band carries a legacy tied to Miles Davis’s electric era of the 1960s and 1970s. Former Davis collaborators such as drummer Vince Wilburn Jr. and keyboardist Robert Irving III join the ensemble. While Davis’s shift toward electric sounds sparked debate—most notably with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis—the current lineup bridges jazz’s traditional and innovative strands.
Beyond the mainstage and ticketed concerts, the festival hosts nightly jam sessions at the Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club, beginning at 11 p.m. These sessions feature local bassist Lindsay Woolgar and drummer K’ Waters, offering audiences a chance to witness spontaneous jazz in an intimate setting.
Local talent also shines. Winnipeg‑born pianist‑composer Danny Carroll, the eight‑piece collective NYOH (Not Your Ordinary Hooligans), and Latin jazz/salsa orchestra Papa Mambo will appear on the mainstage. The Fort Garri Hotel’s Club Room series presents international acts such as New York drummer Curtis Nowosad, French trio Jean‑Michel Pilc, Icelandic group ADHD, Danish crooner Kristin Korb, and Winnipeg musicians Erin Propp and Larry Roy performing Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life.
Marking its 35th anniversary, the 2026 festival celebrates a lineage that began in 1989. Over the decades, the lineup has evolved from a primarily Canadian focus to a more global roster, featuring 50 artists from eight countries. Many of the international performers were discovered at the Jazzahead! conference, a partnership that also helped launch several local acts in Germany.
Festival organizers emphasize that the free Old Market Square concerts benefit all Winnipeg residents. “We pride ourselves in making Old Market Square free and accessible,” Heck says. The complimentary programming, paired with ticketed events, fuels the downtown economy by drawing visitors to hotels, breweries such as Little Brown Jug, Good Neighbour, and Trans Canada, and nearby restaurants and food trucks.
In sum, the 2026 TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival delivers a layered experience that blends free mainstage shows, high‑profile ticketed concerts, local showcases, and spontaneous jam sessions. The event continues to strengthen Winnipeg’s cultural scene, attract international talent, and stimulate the city’s hospitality sector throughout the summer.
International stars slated for the mainstage include Ontario’s five‑piece Shebad, whose sound blends Amy Winehouse’s soul with Daft Punk’s electronic edge; Montreal drummer‑composer Salin, who fuses Northern Thai rhythms with 1970s West African psychedelia; and Hungary’s fusion group Djabe. Executive director Angela Heck notes that these performances draw more than 30,000 visitors each year and boost downtown hotels, breweries, and food vendors.
Ticketed shows will light up venues across the city. Wednesday, June 17, world‑class vocalist Molly Johnson will grace Desautels Concert Hall, while Winnipeg’s Soul Supreme, led by Keisha Booker, takes the stage at the Burton Cummings Theatre. Thursday, June 18, a scaled‑down version of Australia’s Cat Empire will appear at the West End Cultural Centre. Friday, June 19, the Jason Marsalis Quartet will perform at Desautels, and Sunday, June 21, the Miles Electric Band will headline the Burton Cummings Theatre.
The Miles Electric Band carries a legacy tied to Miles Davis’s electric era of the 1960s and 1970s. Former Davis collaborators such as drummer Vince Wilburn Jr. and keyboardist Robert Irving III join the ensemble. While Davis’s shift toward electric sounds sparked debate—most notably with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis—the current lineup bridges jazz’s traditional and innovative strands.
Beyond the mainstage and ticketed concerts, the festival hosts nightly jam sessions at the Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club, beginning at 11 p.m. These sessions feature local bassist Lindsay Woolgar and drummer K’ Waters, offering audiences a chance to witness spontaneous jazz in an intimate setting.
Local talent also shines. Winnipeg‑born pianist‑composer Danny Carroll, the eight‑piece collective NYOH (Not Your Ordinary Hooligans), and Latin jazz/salsa orchestra Papa Mambo will appear on the mainstage. The Fort Garri Hotel’s Club Room series presents international acts such as New York drummer Curtis Nowosad, French trio Jean‑Michel Pilc, Icelandic group ADHD, Danish crooner Kristin Korb, and Winnipeg musicians Erin Propp and Larry Roy performing Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life.
Marking its 35th anniversary, the 2026 festival celebrates a lineage that began in 1989. Over the decades, the lineup has evolved from a primarily Canadian focus to a more global roster, featuring 50 artists from eight countries. Many of the international performers were discovered at the Jazzahead! conference, a partnership that also helped launch several local acts in Germany.
Festival organizers emphasize that the free Old Market Square concerts benefit all Winnipeg residents. “We pride ourselves in making Old Market Square free and accessible,” Heck says. The complimentary programming, paired with ticketed events, fuels the downtown economy by drawing visitors to hotels, breweries such as Little Brown Jug, Good Neighbour, and Trans Canada, and nearby restaurants and food trucks.
In sum, the 2026 TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival delivers a layered experience that blends free mainstage shows, high‑profile ticketed concerts, local showcases, and spontaneous jam sessions. The event continues to strengthen Winnipeg’s cultural scene, attract international talent, and stimulate the city’s hospitality sector throughout the summer.