NYC WINTER JAZZFEST Unveils Full 2026 Festival Lineup

For its 22nd edition, NYC Winter Jazzfest (January 8–13, 2026) will reaffirm its commitment to nurturing community and free expression through live music. This year's theme will center on the joy and beauty of gathering together while celebrating the tradition and future of Black American music—especially urgent during a time when external forces threaten to erase Black culture and history.

“Winter Jazzfest has always been more than a music festival—it's a nurturing 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 music traditions.”

The 2026 festival will once again bring together voices spanning jazz, experimental, soul, electronic, and global traditions. Individual shows, venues, and dates for the Manhattan and Brooklyn Marathons are listed below.

In keeping with its commitment to artist equity and sustainability, Winter Jazzfest will exclusively build and share its playlists on Qobuz. Qobuz is the Official Streaming Partner of 2026 NYC Winter Jazzfest.

Capital Region Company is the Official Cannabis Partner of 2026 NYC Winter Jazzfest, featuring its brands Golden Garden and Revert.

The lineup includes:

JANUARY 8, 2026 — PSYCHIC HOTLINE AT NYC WINTER JAZZFEST

Mei Semones & John Roseboro, Amy Gadiaga, Sam Gendel, Joe Westerlund, William Tyler & Yasmin Williams, Sylvan Esso (DJ set)
Venue: LPR
Time: 7:00 PM Doors

Winter Jazzfest partners with Durham-based record label Psychic Hotline for a label showcase that expands the conversation around jazz and its many intersections. Founded by Sylvan Esso's Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn with Martin Anderson, Psychic Hotline is an artist-run company built on radically artist-forward values: transparent deals, creative freedom, and an ever-growing community of voices. This showcase brings together adventurous music-makers across jazz, folk, and experimental traditions—Mei Semones & John Roseboro, Amy Gadiaga, Sam Gendel, Joe Westerlund, William Tyler & Yasmin Williams—plus a DJ set from Sylvan Esso. Winter Jazzfest has previously presented Psychic Hotline artists including Amaro Freitas, Sam Wilkes, and Gendel. This year's showcase extends a warm genre-agnostic welcome to a label that celebrates the festival’s core values.

JANUARY 8, 2026 — NYC WINTER JAZZFEST AT NUBLU

Early: Brazil Music Club with Hamilton de Holanda, Flávio Silva, Jamile & Vinicius Gomes
Time: 6:30 PM Doors, 7:00 PM Show

Late: William Parker Pocket Watch Orchestra, Tomoki Sanders
Time: 9:30 PM Doors, 10:00 PM Show

Early:
6:30 PM Doors Open
7:00 PM Jamile & Vinicius Gomes
7:45 PM Flávio Silva
8:30 PM Hamilton de Holanda

Late:
9:30 PM Advertised Doors
10:00 PM William Parker Pocket Watch Orchestra
11:30 PM Tomoki Sanders

JANUARY 9, 2026 — WINTER JAZZFEST MANHATTAN MARATHON

Venues: LPR, City Winery, City Winery Loft, Nublu, DROM, The Bitter End, Zinc Bar, Close Up
Time: 5:00 PM – 3:00 AM

On January 9, 2026, Winter Jazzfest's Manhattan Marathon will once again transform Lower Manhattan into a map of sound, with music spanning LPR, City Winery, City Winery Loft, Nublu, DROM, The Bitter End, and Zinc Bar. Audiences will be able to wander between venues and encounter different musical worlds.

MANHATTAN MARATHON:

Venue: LPR
5:30 PM Doors
6:00 PM Nels Cline: songs from LOVERS conducted by Michael Leonhart
7:15 PM Patricia Brennan Tentet
8:30 PM Takuya Kuroda
9:45 PM Lakecia Benjamin
11:00 PM Braxton Cook
12:15 AM Obed Calvaire: 150 Million Gold Francs
1:30 AM Fonville x Fribush ft Morgan Burrs w/ Toribio

Venue: City Winery
5:00 PM Doors
6:30 PM James Carter Quintet - Trane: A Centennial Supreme
7:45 PM Endea Owens & The Cookout
9:00 PM Tyreek McDole
10:15 PM Lady Blackbird
11:30 PM Louis Cato

Venue: City Winery Loft
6:00 PM Doors
6:15 PM Civil Disobedience
7:30 PM Sarah Elizabeth Charles
8:45 PM Tia Fuller & Shamie Fuller-Royston
10:00 PM Veronica Swift
11:15 PM Brandon Woody's Upendo

Venue: DROM
5:30 PM Doors
6:00 PM Arun Ramamurthy Trio
7:15 PM Amir ElSaffar New Quartet
8:30 PM New Jazz Underground
9:45 PM Ekep Nkwelle
11:00 PM David Murray Quartet
12:15 AM James Brandon Lewis Trio

Venue: Zinc Bar
6:00 PM Doors
6:45 PM Mingus Dynasty
8:00 PM Gabrielle Cavassa
9:15 PM The Hemphill Stringtet
10:30 PM Laura Anglade
11:45 PM Lex Korten & Canopy
1:00 AM William Hill Trio

Venue: Nublu
6:30 PM Doors
7:00 PM Alfredo Colon Sextet
8:15 PM Sam Gendel & Nate Mercereau
9:30 PM Merope with Shahzad Ismaily
10:45 PM Tomas Fujiwara: Dream Up
12:00 AM Shahzad Ismaily, Maria Chavez and Greg Saunier
1:15 AM Hanging Hearts

Venue: The Bitter End (French Quarter)
6:00 PM Doors
6:30 PM AMG
7:30 PM Mario Canonge Trio
8:30 PM Célia Kameni
9:30 PM GILDAA
10:30 PM The Getdown
11:30 PM Daoud

Venue: Close Up
6:00 PM Doors
6:30 PM John Hébert
8:00 PM John Hébert
10:00 PM David Virelles
11:30 PM David Virelles

JANUARY 10, 2026 — WINTER JAZZFEST BROOKLYN MARATHON

Venues: Brooklyn Bowl, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Superior Ingredients, National Sawdust, Baby's All Right, Union Pool, Loove Annex
Time: 5:00 PM – 3:00 AM

BROOKLYN MARATHON:

Venue: Music Hall of Williamsburg
6:00 PM Doors
6:45 PM Quantum Blues Quartet w/ Tisziji Muñoz, Will Calhoun, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Paul Shaffer
8:00 PM William Tyler & Yasmin Williams
9:15 PM Silk Road Ensemble
10:30 PM Mei Semones
11:45 PM Kahil ElZabar & Isaiah Collier

Venue: Brooklyn Bowl
6:00 PM Doors
6:00 PM The Either/Orchestra plays éthiopiques
7:15 PM Saha Gnawa
8:30 PM Annie & The Caldwells
9:45 PM Mádé Kuti
11:00 PM Pedrito Martinez
12:15 AM Morgan Guerin with Billy Hart

Venue: Superior Ingredients
6:30 PM Doors
7:30 PM Sasha Berliner
8:45 PM David Binney Action Trio w/ Louis Cole & Pera Krstajic
10:00 PM Joel Ross
11:15 PM Luke Titus
12:30 AM Anthony Tidd's Quite Sane

Venue: National Sawdust
6:00 PM Doors
6:15 PM Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth SWAY
7:30 PM Samora & Elena Pinderhughes
8:45 PM Brandon Ross Phantom Station
10:00 PM Dawn of Midi
11:15 PM Marcus Gilmore's Journey to the New

Venue: Loove Annex (Fully Altered Showcase)
6:00 PM Doors
6:30 PM Ohad Talmor Back To The Land
7:45 PM Alden Hellmuth
9:00 PM Carmen Staaf and Sounding Line
10:15 PM DoYeon Kim Quintet
11:30 PM Adam O'Farrill Elephant

Venue: Baby's All Right
6:00 PM Doors
7:00 PM Cole Pulice
8:15 PM LOJO Watts w/ Logan Richardson, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Joe Sanders
9:30 PM Luke Stewart Silt Trio
10:45 PM Tomeka Reid Quartet
12:00 AM Instant Alter
1:15 AM Immanuel Wilkins

Venue: Union Pool (Dada Strain Showcase)
6:00 PM Doors
6:30 PM Joy Guidry
7:45 PM Xenia Rubinos
9:00 PM Bex Burch
10:15 PM Amirtha Kidambi's Elder Ones

JANUARY 11, 2026 — GIANT STEP 35.5 YEARS CELEBRATION AT WINTER JAZZFEST

Gilles Peterson, Ron Trent, Kassa Overall, Mádé Kuti, Carl Hancock Rux, Nickodemus, Lovie
Venue: Elsewhere
Time: 6:00 PM

JANUARY 11, 2026 — NYC WINTER JAZZFEST AT NUBLU

7:00 PM Next Jazz Legacy
8:00 PM Ruly Herrera
9:00 PM MAE.SUN
10:00 PM Cochemea
11:00 PM Melvin Gibbs

JANUARY 12, 2026 — LPR: MY COUNTRY ’TIS OF THEE: FREEDOM RIDERS & GUESTS

Freedom Riders & Guests Arturo O'Farrill, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Samora Pinderhughes, Mádé Kuti, Adegoke Steve Colson + more
Doors: 7:00 PM
Venue: LPR

JANUARY 13, 2026 — GILLES PETERSON PRESENTS: LINER NOTES

with Gary Bartz, Rob Galliano & Cleo Reed
An Evening of Music, Stories and More presented by NYC Winter Jazzfest & Giant Step
Venue: Roulette

JANUARY 13, 2026 — TAKE TWO: DAVE HARRINGTON'S PRANKSTERS EAST REIMAGINE “BITCHES BREW”

Venue: LPR
Co-presented with Pique-nique

Lineup:
Dave Harrington - guitar
Nels Cline - guitar
Yuka Honda - keys/electronics
Shahzad Ismaily - percussion/synth
Anna Abondolo - bass
Kenny Wollesen - drums/percussion
Tcheser Holmes - drums
Stuart Bogie - bass clarinet/keys
Ilhan Ersahin - sax
Alfredo Colón - sax/ewi
Phil Weinrobe - live dub mix/electronics

JANUARY 13, 2026 — NYC WINTER JAZZFEST AT NUBLU

8:00 PM Milena Casado
9:00 PM BIG YUKI
10:00 PM Mádé Kuti
11:00 PM Isaiah Collier

JAZZ TALKS SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

CREAM Rises: An Evening with Kassa Overall, in conversation with Dan Charnas and Marcus J. Moore, followed by DJ set by Vijay Iyer
Time: 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
ACE HOTEL LOBBY: 252 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn

SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 2026

Making Art Amid Cultural Erasure: Yasmin Williams, Arturo o'Farrill, Immanuel Wilkins and gwen laster, moderated by angelika beener
Time: 12:00 PM
651 ARTS: 10 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn

Honoring 60 years of AACM: Iqua Colson, Adegoke Steve Colson, Nicole Mitchell, Isaiah Collier, moderated by Chad Edward Taylor
Time: 2:00 PM
651 ARTS: 10 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn

SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2026

Listening in Transition: How Streaming Has Changed Listening: Matt Mitchell, Amirtha Kidambi, Dan Mackta, moderated by David Ecker
Time: 12:00 PM
651 ARTS: 10 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn

Artists of Witness and Resistance: Kahil El’Zabar, Joy Guidry, Luke Stewart, moderated by Katea Stitt
Time: 3:00 PM
651 ARTS: 10 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn

Introducing Sphere: A Journal of Jazz in Motion: Giovanni Russonello, Danielle Amir Jackson, Hank Shteamer, moderated by Aidan Levy
Time: 5:00 PM
651 ARTS: 10 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn

VISUALS & MESSAGING: STILL WE RISE

The festival’s 2026 creative direction, led by Creative Director Maryam Shines, takes inspiration from Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise.” The artwork created for this year's festival is a visual anthem of resilience, power, and joy, drawing on the bold lines of political poster art, the brilliance of Afrofuturist visionaries, and the lush imagination of artists like Kerry James Marshall and Mati Klarwein.