Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2026 Unveils 550-Artist Lineup, 150 Events Across 30 Venues

The Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF) will run from 16 to 25 October 2026, presenting more than 550 artists from 18 countries in 150 performances at 30 venues throughout Melbourne and selected Victorian locations. The program includes a substantial free schedule, 29 Australian premieres, 12 world premieres, and a mix of traditional jazz, funk, soul, hip‑hop, poetry, electronic and contemporary classical music.

MIJF’s 2026 lineup highlights the city’s role as a crossroads for established jazz masters and contemporary innovators. The festival’s international focus spotlights artists from Japan, South Korea, South Africa and the United Kingdom, and it partners with Jazz at Lincoln Center, EFG London Jazz Festival and Jarasum Jazz Festival to extend its global network.

Key headline events include the return of the Second Line Street Party, led by New Orleans brass band Rebirth Brass Band. The parade will travel along the Yarra River before concluding at Federation Square, where free performances by Rebirth Brass Band, BIGYUKI and Allysha Joy will be staged. Rebirth Brass Band will also play a set at 170 Russell Street. Other major international acts feature Mercury Prize winner Benjamin Clementine at the Forum, Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan at the Melbourne Recital Centre, and poet‑musician‑activist aja monet at Max Watt’s.

The club‑level program is equally international. JazzLab will host residencies from the Kris Davis Trio, Tomeka Reid Quartet, Yosvany Terry, Bokani Dyer and Soojin Suh Colouris Trio. Tomeka Reid will perform alongside Mary Halvorson, Jason Roebke and Tomas Fujiwara, while the Kris Davis Trio will collaborate with Robert Hurst and Jonathan Blake. At Hamer Hall, the quartet Aziza—comprising Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke and Eric Harland—will reunite to celebrate ten years since their self‑titled album. The festival’s closing concert on 25 October will feature Aziza’s performance.

Australian artists receive a prominent platform. The Teskey Brothers will open the Sidney Myer Music Bowl program on 17 October with a full performance of their debut album Half Mile Harvest, marking the album’s tenth anniversary. Fred Wesley & The New JBs and Emily Wurramara will join the lineup. Australian premieres and new commissions include Aaron Choulai’s Saltwater, Sugar performed by the Australian Art Orchestra with Ngaiire and Joelistics, and Xani Kolac’s KOŁACZ. Asteroid Ekosystem, featuring Alister Spence, Lloyd Swanton, Toby Hall and Ed Kuepper, will launch the Sounds Have Dreams series.

The festival introduces a new late‑night format, Haus Party, at the Spiegel Haus. The program blends jazz, groove, hip‑hop and electronic music, featuring performers such as Don Glori, Deep Mind, Stogie T, Finn Rees Orchestra, Erica Tucceri, Iwuda, Live Slug Reaction and Soliloquy.

Free access is a core feature of MIJF 2026. Approximately 35 percent of the program is free, with venues such as Federation Square, Prahran Square, Footscray and Moonee Valley hosting performances and family activities. The festival also returns Inside Out: Jump, Jive, Jazz to ArtPlay, offering a program for children aged two to seven.

Educational and interactive sessions are scheduled throughout the festival. George Lewis will deliver a keynote on improvisation, technology and machine learning. Stogie T will lead an MCing workshop, and Dee Dee Bridgewater will conduct a masterclass. The Bad Plus will participate in a farewell conversation after more than two decades of activity.

MIJF’s 2026 program demonstrates the evolving nature of jazz as a live art form, integrating traditional jazz with hip‑hop, electronic, poetry and experimental composition. The festival’s scale and breadth reflect Melbourne’s position as a hub for global jazz dialogue.

Tickets and full program details are available through the MIJF website. The festival’s schedule confirms that the 2026 edition will run from 16 to 25 October, offering a diverse and inclusive lineup across Melbourne and selected Victorian venues.