The 2026 Rochester International Jazz Festival has announced the lineup for the 23rd edition, featuring legendary artists such as Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and the Count Basie Orchestra. The nine-day festival will take place in Rochester from June 19 to 27.
Presented by M&T Bank, Rochester International Jazz Festival is one of the most prominent jazz festivals in the world. The festival has been an annual event in downtown Rochester since 2002.
This year the festival will be held over 19 venues in Rochester with over 300 shows in total, including more than 100 which are free, in addition to jam sessions, jazz workshops, and artists from all over the world including the U.S., Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cuba, France, Hungary, Japan, and Poland.
This year, the festival will welcome the Legendary Count Basie Orchestra as one of its headliners. The ensemble will perform on Saturday, June 27th, at 8 pm, at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre celebrating the extraordinary work of William “Count” Basie.
In addition, other festival headliners such as Gladys Knight, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Chris Botti, Robe Band, Ana Popović, Galactic, The K Latin Jazz Tito Puente Jr. & Nestor Torres Together! will perform.
The 2026 Rochester Jazz Festival offers an array of exciting free shows as well. The Wegmans stage at Parcel 5 will host The Kings of Latin Jazz, Tito Puente Jr. and Nestor Torres, 9pm, and Grupo lfe at 7pm on June 24th. On Thursday, June 25th, Galactic will perform at 9pm and Robin McKelle & The Flytones will perform at 7pm. On June 26th, Don Manucuso and D Drive will perform at 7pm, followed by Ana Popović at 9pm. On Saturday, June 27th, Cinnamon Jones will perform at 7 pm followed by Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, closing out the festival at 9pm.
As part of the free shows, Robert Cray, a five-time Grammy winner, will perform on June 20th on the East and Chestnut Stage, preceded by Nikki Hill at 7pm.
The city of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, presented by the community foundation, will additionally offer 50+ free shows, with no tickets needed, starting in mid-afternoon through 10:30pm nightly. Performers such as Nikki Hill, Scott Sharrad and Eldorado Slim Celebrating Little Feat, Soul Stew, and DK Harrel, will perform.
The Wegmans Pavillion at Rochester Regional Health Rhythm Square will offer three shows nightly at 6pm, 7:45pm, and 9:30 all nine nights. In addition, Jazz Starts at the Library will offer free shows from June 22 to 26 from noon to 1pm.
Jam sessions will also return this year at the Hyatt Regency Rochester for all nine nights beginning at 10:30pm and Vanni’s Jazz Lounge at the Inn on Broadway for seven nights from June 19th to 20th, and June 24th to 27th beginning at 10:30pm. All Jam Sessions are free and will have food and beverages available for purchase.
The event will also offer five free Jazz Workshops from June 22 to 26 at the Eastman School of Music. These workshops will offer music students of all ages the opportunity to work with Roberto Occhipinti (bass), Tommy Smith (Sax), Allan Harris (Voice), Dawn Clement (piano), and Billy Goodness (drums), who will all be performing at the festival.
The festival also offers a signature Club Pass Series for 174 shows over the nine-day festival. The club pass series offers access to artists not offering free shows. Tickets for the Club pass series and more information are available on the Rochester International Jazz Festival website. In addition, a full list of headliners, club pass series performers, and free shows can be found below.
HEADLINERS
Gladys Knight • Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue • Chris Botti • Robert Cray Band • The Count Basie Orchestra • Ana Popovic • Galactic • The Kings of Latin Jazz Tito Puente Jr. & Nestor Torres Together!
CLUB PASS SERIES
Adam Nussbaum Trio • Alexa Tarantino Quartet • Allan Harris • April Mae & The June Bugs • Arturo Sandoval • Avishai Cohen: Big Vicious • Bad Sneakers • Big Lazy • Bill Frisell • Bill Tiberio Band • Billy Goodness Presents An Evening of Bacharach • Bob James Trio • Bonerama • Bowmanville Swing • Brandon Woody’s Upendo • Brian Dickinson • Brittany Davis • Buffalo Rose • Camila Meza • Catherine Russell • Cecile McLorin Salvant • Celebrating John Coltrane With Joe Lovano & Friends • Celebrating Rochester’s Alec Wilder with Mark Daniels & Friends • Charles Pillow Octet Feat. Amy Azzara • CMD • Paul Hofmann & Bob Sneider • Corey Bernard & Eternity Ensemble • Curley Lamb Nu-Soul-Jaz Collab Feat. Ria Curley & Chuck Lamb • Danilo Perez Trio • Dave Stryker Quartet with Troy Roberts • Davina & The Vagabonds • Dawn Clement + Matt Wilson + Buster Williams • Djabe • Dolphin Hyperspace • Doreen Ketchens New Orleans Jazz Quartet • Eric Scott Reed • Empress • Everything Yes • Harold Danko • Harvey Mason’s Chameleon • Headhunters • Henhouse Prowlers • Hiromi’s Sonic Wonder • Holly Cole • Honey Island Swamp Band • Hudost • Isaiah J. Thompson Trio • Jamie Baum Septet • Jamile – Brazilian Jazz Quartet • Jerron Paxton • Joe Farnsworth Quartet Feat. Sarah Hanahan • Joslyn & The Sweet Compression • Kathleen Parks • Kyle Roussel Quintet • Laura Dubin Trio • NYC Jazz All Stars Featuring Eric Alexander & Jeremy Pelt • Orrin Evans Trio • Paul Cornish Trio • Raul Midon • Rodriguez Bros. Celebrate Miles Davis 100th • Sasha Dobson • Shebad • Singing River • Sketches Of Trane • Soul Rebels • Stephane Wrembel • Suzie Vinnick • Tessa Souter • Tommy Smith & Makoto Ozone • Toubab Krewe • Trane Of Thought w/ Pat Labarbera • Vicki Kristina Barcelona • Victoria Victoria • Vitor Goncalves Trio Brazil Jazz • Will Calhoun Quartet From Living Color • Willie Jones III • Wolff Sisters
FREE SHOWS
Bad Plus • Campbell Brothers • Coltrane Sutras • 78 Rpm Big Band • Aaron DeRuyter & The Confluence • All In Brass Band • Almost There Band • Black Rabbit • Bob Sneider • Brockport Big Band • Cinnamon Jones • Dirty Blanket • DK Harrell • Don Mancuso & D Drive • Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra with Herb Smith • ECMS Faculty with Special Guest Vocalists • ECMS Jazz Combos Directed by Bob Sneider • Escape Terrain • ESM Jazz Honors Unit 1 • ESM Jazz Honors Unit 2 • ESM Jazz Honors Unit 3 • Europa • Excursion Jazz Orchestra Directed by Don Sherman • Fall Creek Brass Band • Freddy Colon & 5 Con Swing • Gateswingers Big Band • Grupo Ife • Hilton HS Jazz Band • Judah Sealy Band • Katy Eberts • Latriste Fulton n Frequency • Mambo Kings • Margaret Explosion • Mel Henderson Quartet • Mike Cottone • Mike Kaupa’s ECMS Ensemble & Junior Jazz • Mike Melito • Mosaic Collective Quintet • Music Educators Big Band • New Horizons Big Band Directed by Priscilla Todd Brown • New Horizons Jazz Ensemble • Nikki Hill • Novasonic • Penfield Big Band • Prime Time Brass • Public Water Supply • RIJF/ESM Scholarship Concert • Robin Mckelle & The Flytones Stax Soul Sessions • Rochester Metro Jazz Orchestra • Ryan Johnson & Escape Terrain • Sarah De Valliere & The Rhythmwell • Scott Sharrard & Eldorado Slim Celebrating Little Feat • Scoullive Celebrating The Music of John Scofield And Soulive • Soul Stew • The 585 Brass Band • U.S. Navy Band Commodores Jazz Orchestra • Viavattine Brothers
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