NYC WINTER JAZZFEST 2026 Reveals Initial Lineups for Manhattan and Brooklyn Marathons

Returning for its 22nd season, NYC Winter Jazzfest will take place January 8–13, 2026, reaffirming its commitment to community, creativity, and free expression through live music. This year’s festival centers on the joy of gathering and the enduring power of Black American music, with programming designed to celebrate its past, present, and future.

“Winter Jazzfest has always been more than a music festival—it’s a community gathering, a platform for diverse voices, a space of joy and resilience,” said the festival team. “In 2026, we double down on the power of music to resist erasure and amplify the voices at the heart of Black American traditions.”

Manhattan Marathon – January 9

Winter Jazzfest’s signature Manhattan Marathon will once again transform Lower Manhattan into a living soundscape, with performances across LPR, City Winery, City Winery Loft, Nublu, DROM, The Bitter End, and Zinc Bar from 5 PM to 3 AM.

Highlights include:

• Nels Cline: Songs from Lovers conducted by Michael Leonhart

• Patricia Brennan, Takuya Kuroda, Lakecia Benjamin, Obed Calvaire, and Fonville x Fribush ft. Morgan Burrs at LPR

• James Carter Quintet, Endea Owens & The Cookout, Tyreek McDole, Lady Blackbird, and Louis Cato at City Winery

• David Murray Quartet and James Brandon Lewis Trio at DROM

• Late-night sets by Mingus Dynasty and emerging International Artists at Zinc Bar and The Bitter End

Brooklyn Marathon – January 10

The following night, the Brooklyn Marathon extends the festival’s cross-borough reach, running 5 PM–3 AM at Brooklyn Bowl, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Superior Ingredients, National Sawdust, Baby’s All Right, Union Pool, and Loove Annex.

Highlights include:

• Quantum Blues Quartet with Tisziji Muñoz, Will Calhoun, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, and Paul Shaffer

• Silk Road Ensemble, Kahil ElZabar & Isaiah Collier, Joel Ross, and Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth SWAY

• Mádé Kuti and The Movement and Pedrito Martinez at Brooklyn Bowl

• Avant-garde showcases at Baby’s All Right and experimental collaborations at Union Pool and Loove Annex

Additional artists, keynote speakers, and panel discussions will be announced in the coming weeks.

The 2026 festival’s creative direction, led by Maryam Shines, draws inspiration from Dr. Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise.” The visual campaign—developed with permission from Caged Bird Legacy, LLC—serves as a “visual anthem of resilience,” incorporating Afrofuturist and political poster aesthetics with imagery of open hands and blooming flowers as symbols of collective expression.

About NYC Winter Jazzfest

Founded in 2005 by Brice Rosenbloom, NYC Winter Jazzfest has evolved from a downtown showcase into one of the world’s premier jazz gatherings, praised by The New York Times, The New Yorker, and NPR. The festival now features up to 150 groups and more than 600 artists performing across 20 New York City stages.

Renowned as “jazz’s answer to SXSW,” Winter Jazzfest continues to serve as a beacon for creative musicians and socially conscious art-making—championing racial and gender justice, climate action, and cultural diversity through the unifying language of music.