STILL WE RISE: NYC WINTER JAZZFEST Reveals Shows, Venues, And Lineups

The 2026 NYC Winter Jazzfest (January 8–13, 2026) has announced its initial lineup, venues, and special programming, marking the festival’s 22nd season of uniting communities through the power of live music.

This year’s theme, “Still We Rise,” draws inspiration from Dr. Maya Angelou’s poem Still I Rise and serves as both a rallying cry and a celebration of Black American music’s enduring influence.

“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 music traditions.”

Featured Performances and Special Events

The 2026 program includes showcases and concerts across Manhattan and Brooklyn, blending jazz, soul, experimental, electronic, and global traditions. Highlights include:

• Psychic Hotline Showcase – January 8 at Le Poisson Rouge (LPR), featuring Mei Semones & John Roseboro, Amy Gadiaga, Sam Gendel, Joe Westerlund, William Tyler & Yasmin Williams, and a Sylvan Esso DJ set.

• Manhattan Marathon – January 9 across LPR, City Winery, Nublu, DROM, The Bitter End, Zinc Bar, and more, turning downtown into a living map of sound from post-bop to avant-garde.

• Brooklyn Marathon – January 10 at Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn Bowl, National Sawdust, Baby’s All Right, Union Pool, and others, highlighting genre-defying artists rooted in jazz’s spirit of invention.

• Meshell Ndegeocello, Cory Henry, and Annie & The Caldwells – January 11 at Pioneer Works, a night of spiritual soul and gospel-infused groove.

• Giant Step 35.5 Years Celebration – January 11 at Elsewhere, featuring Gilles Peterson, Ron Trent, and Kassa Overall.

• My Country ’Tis of Thee – January 12 at LPR, featuring Freedom Riders, Arturo O’Farrill, Mádé Kuti, Samora Pinderhughes, and more in a musical exploration of protest and liberation.

• Gilles Peterson Presents: Liner Notes – January 13 at Roulette, an evening of storytelling and live music from the globally influential DJ and broadcaster.

• Take Two: Dave Harrington’s Pranksters East Reimagine Bitches Brew – January 13 at LPR, honoring Miles Davis’s centennial with a deep-listening performance co-presented by Pique-nique.

Full festival and marathon passes are on sale now at winterjazzfest.com.

This year’s creative direction, led by Maryam Shines, draws from Still I Rise and Afrofuturist art to create a visual anthem of resilience and beauty. The central image—two hands rising, both offering and receiving—represents the festival’s mission to celebrate jazz as a vessel for cross-cultural exchange, freedom, and joy.

About NYC Winter Jazzfest

Founded in 2005 by Brice Rosenbloom, NYC Winter Jazzfest has grown into one of the world’s premier showcases for creative music, featuring more than 150 groups and 600+ artists across 20 stages. Praised by The New York Times, The New Yorker, and NPR, the festival remains a driving force for social consciousness in the arts—presenting music that confronts issues of racial justice, gender equity, climate change, and freedom of expression.