ArtistDirect News
Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2026 Unveils 550-Artist Lineup, 150 Events, and 29 Australian Premieres
From 16 to 25 October 2026, the Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF) will host more than 550 performers across 18 countries in 150 events held at 30 venues. Festival director Hadley Agrez announced a program that blends free outdoor concerts, club residencies, premieres, workshops and collaborative projects, positioning Melbourne as a crossroads for traditional jazz and contemporary hybrids.
The lineup’s breadth is evident from its international focus. Artists from Japan, South Korea, South Africa and the United Kingdom headline, and MIJF has formal partnerships with Jazz at Lincoln Center, the EFG London Jazz Festival and the Jarasum Jazz Festival. The 2026 schedule includes 29 Australian premieres and 12 world premieres, underscoring the festival’s commitment to fresh music.
A marquee highlight is the return of the Second Line Street Party, now led by the New Orleans brass band Rebirth Brass Band. The band makes its Australian debut, marching along the Yarra River before moving to Federation Square for free performances with BIGYUKI and Allysha Joy. They will also play at 170 Russell Street. Other international stars feature Benjamin Clementine, the 2023 Mercury Prize winner, at the Forum; Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan at the Melbourne Recital Centre; and poet‑musician‑activist Aja Monet at Max Watt’s.
In the club circuit, JazzLab will host residencies from the Kris Davis Trio, Tomeka Reid Quartet, Yosvany Terry, Bokani Dyer and Soojin Suh Coloris Trio. Tomeka Reid will perform alongside Mary Halvorson, Jason Roebke and Tomas Fujiwara, while Davis will collaborate with Robert Hurst and Jonathan Blake. At Hamer Hall, the quartet Aziza—Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke and Eric Harland—will reunite to celebrate ten years since their self‑titled album, closing the festival with a performance on 25 October.
Dee Dee Bridgewater, a three‑time Grammy winner, returns to Melbourne after a decade, partnering with pianist Helen Sung for headline shows. Australian acts are front‑and‑center: the Teskey Brothers open the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on 17 October with a full performance of their debut album Half Mile Harvest, marking a decade since its release. Fred Wesley & The New JBs and Emily Wurramara join them.
New commissions and premieres enrich the Australian voice. Aaron Choulai’s Saltwater, Sugar will be performed by the Australian Art Orchestra with Ngaiire and Joelistics; Xani Kolac will present KOŁACZ; and Asteroid Ekosystem, featuring Alister Spence, Lloyd Swanton, Toby Hall and Ed Kuepper, will launch the Sounds Have Dreams series.
The festival’s late‑night Haus Party at Spiegel Haus introduces a hybrid of jazz, groove, hip‑hop and electronic music. The lineup includes Don Glori, Deep Mind, Stogie T, Finn Rees Orchestra, Erica Tucceri, Iwuda, Live Slug Reaction and Soliloquy.
Around 35 % of the program remains free. Outdoor stages at Federation Square, Prahran Square, Footscray and Moonee Valley host concerts and family activities. Inside Out: Jump, Jive, Jazz returns to ArtPlay, offering a program for children aged two to seven.
Educational and behind‑the‑scenes content rounds out the festival. George Lewis will deliver a keynote on improvisation, technology and machine learning. Stogie T will lead an MCing workshop, and Bridgewater will conduct a masterclass. The Bad Plus will participate in a farewell conversation after more than two decades of activity.
MIJF 2026 showcases how Melbourne can unite established masters and emerging voices across jazz, funk, soul, hip‑hop, poetry, electronic and contemporary classical music. By integrating free public events with high‑profile concerts and workshops, the festival expands access to live jazz while fostering international collaboration.
Tickets and the full program are available on the festival’s website. The event will run across Melbourne and selected Victorian locations from 16 to 25 October 2026.
The lineup’s breadth is evident from its international focus. Artists from Japan, South Korea, South Africa and the United Kingdom headline, and MIJF has formal partnerships with Jazz at Lincoln Center, the EFG London Jazz Festival and the Jarasum Jazz Festival. The 2026 schedule includes 29 Australian premieres and 12 world premieres, underscoring the festival’s commitment to fresh music.
A marquee highlight is the return of the Second Line Street Party, now led by the New Orleans brass band Rebirth Brass Band. The band makes its Australian debut, marching along the Yarra River before moving to Federation Square for free performances with BIGYUKI and Allysha Joy. They will also play at 170 Russell Street. Other international stars feature Benjamin Clementine, the 2023 Mercury Prize winner, at the Forum; Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan at the Melbourne Recital Centre; and poet‑musician‑activist Aja Monet at Max Watt’s.
In the club circuit, JazzLab will host residencies from the Kris Davis Trio, Tomeka Reid Quartet, Yosvany Terry, Bokani Dyer and Soojin Suh Coloris Trio. Tomeka Reid will perform alongside Mary Halvorson, Jason Roebke and Tomas Fujiwara, while Davis will collaborate with Robert Hurst and Jonathan Blake. At Hamer Hall, the quartet Aziza—Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke and Eric Harland—will reunite to celebrate ten years since their self‑titled album, closing the festival with a performance on 25 October.
Dee Dee Bridgewater, a three‑time Grammy winner, returns to Melbourne after a decade, partnering with pianist Helen Sung for headline shows. Australian acts are front‑and‑center: the Teskey Brothers open the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on 17 October with a full performance of their debut album Half Mile Harvest, marking a decade since its release. Fred Wesley & The New JBs and Emily Wurramara join them.
New commissions and premieres enrich the Australian voice. Aaron Choulai’s Saltwater, Sugar will be performed by the Australian Art Orchestra with Ngaiire and Joelistics; Xani Kolac will present KOŁACZ; and Asteroid Ekosystem, featuring Alister Spence, Lloyd Swanton, Toby Hall and Ed Kuepper, will launch the Sounds Have Dreams series.
The festival’s late‑night Haus Party at Spiegel Haus introduces a hybrid of jazz, groove, hip‑hop and electronic music. The lineup includes Don Glori, Deep Mind, Stogie T, Finn Rees Orchestra, Erica Tucceri, Iwuda, Live Slug Reaction and Soliloquy.
Around 35 % of the program remains free. Outdoor stages at Federation Square, Prahran Square, Footscray and Moonee Valley host concerts and family activities. Inside Out: Jump, Jive, Jazz returns to ArtPlay, offering a program for children aged two to seven.
Educational and behind‑the‑scenes content rounds out the festival. George Lewis will deliver a keynote on improvisation, technology and machine learning. Stogie T will lead an MCing workshop, and Bridgewater will conduct a masterclass. The Bad Plus will participate in a farewell conversation after more than two decades of activity.
MIJF 2026 showcases how Melbourne can unite established masters and emerging voices across jazz, funk, soul, hip‑hop, poetry, electronic and contemporary classical music. By integrating free public events with high‑profile concerts and workshops, the festival expands access to live jazz while fostering international collaboration.
Tickets and the full program are available on the festival’s website. The event will run across Melbourne and selected Victorian locations from 16 to 25 October 2026.