With the arrival of autumn, the best of the world’s jazz scene comes together at the Madrid International Jazz Festival, better known as JAZZMADRID. The festival is back at various venues around the city from 2 October to 30 November 2026, once more turning Madrid into the European epicentre of this musical genre, bringing together leading figures from today’s scene.
The official programme will take place at the Teatro Fernán Gómez. Centro Cultural de la Villa, CentroCentro and Contemporánea Condeduque and, for yet another year, the festival includes the collaboration of Villanos del Jazz and the Madrid en Vivo association of concert halls, which presents several concerts at different venues across the city as part of the Jazz con sabor a Club concert series. Jazz Círculo will also be back at the Fine Arts Circle; 21 DISTRITOS will bring jazz to the different neighbourhoods and Jazz in Ciudad Lineal will continue developing its activity at diverse cultural centres. Venues such as Teatro Albéniz and the French Institute in Madrid will once more be immersed in the programme and the Impulse concert series will bring together artists like Shabaka Hutchings, Mansur Brown, Michael Mayo or Yuley Díaz.
The JAZZMADRID 2026 programme stands out for the participation of leading figures in contemporary jazz. They include the singer Kurt Elling and the legendary group, The Yellowjackets, presenting the Celebrate Weather Report project, a tribute to music by one of the most influential and revolutionary electric jazz groups.
Another eagerly awaited moment of this edition is the performance by Cécile McLorin Salvant, one of the great jazz voices of the 21st century, who will be on stage alongside the pianist Sullivan Fortner. They will be joined by the legendary clarinettist and saxophonist, Paquito D'Rivera, a major reference from Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz, and the saxophonist David Murray, one of the most influential musicians in American contemporary jazz in recent decades.
National creators will also stand out at the festival thanks to names like Moisés P. Sánchez and Marco Mezquida with their Va y Ven project; the joint performance by Rita Payés and Lucía Fumero; Daniel García, Raynald Colom alongside Diego Amador, Javier Vercher, Caminero, Lucía Rey or the historic encounter between Colina, Miralta and Sambeat in the CMS Trio.
On the other hand, this latest edition will pay tribute to Miles Davis and John Coltrane, two great musicians from the 20th century to mark the centenaries of their births and whose universes will be present in several of the festival’s performances. The pianist Emmet Cohen will open this tribute with Miles & Coltrane at 100, whilst James Carter will present Trane: A Centennial Supreme. The focus on Davis will continue with 100 Miles for Miles Davis, by Jason Miles, and with Dear Miles: A Love Letter, a project by Emma-Jean Thackray. Antonio Serrano and Kaele Jiménez will revisit Coltrane’s legacy in Jazz CaLó for Coltrane.
In addition to these names, the programme includes some of the best known figures on the international scene, such as the veteran pianist Kenny Barron; the saxophonist Chris Potter; the guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel; the pianist Shai Maestro; the bass player and singer Richard Bona; the guitarist Al Di Meola; the Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodríguez, and the French-Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf. They will be joined by artists like Samara Joy, one of the most famous voices on today’s jazz scene; Lizz Wright; Andrea Motis; Judith Hill; Leonor Watling and Leo Sidran; as well as references from the new musical languages, such as Mark Guiliana, Nate Smith or Camilla George.
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