Lalah Hathaway, Lady Blackbird and More Join PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 2026
Bernard Purdie, Terri Lyne Carrington and Nate Smith will join the free Liberty Avenue festival at AWAACC.
August Wilson African American Cultural Center will present the 16th edition of the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Co-presented by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield with support from the Joyce & George Wein Foundation, September 17 - 20, 2026, featuring the city's own iconic history along with legendary and contemporary jazz, soul, blues and more. Most performances are FREE on Liberty Avenue in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh with food trucks, a beer garden and Game Zone, plus ticketed concerts at AWAACC and partner venues.
PIJF will host two B.U.I.L.D. artist residencies, made possible with support from the Joyce and George Wein Foundation. Festival artists-in-residence are producer/vocalist/ composer Eric Roberson and the original master of mixtapes New York DJ Kid Capri. Both artists will perform their own music, as well as commissions related to jazz and the artist residency, inspired by the festival theme, Our America250.
Jazz innovators Terri Lyne Carrington, Orrin Evans, Sean Jones and more also headline the festival. PIJF honors the architects of bebop with a tribute to Thelonious Monk directed by Orrin Evans, who will also direct The Jazz Train, a trademark event for the PIJF since 2022. Pittsburgh-based drummer, Dennis Garner leads us on a journey through the music of the late D'Angelo with special guest vocalist Cam Chambers. Hold your hats and brace yourselves for the Slang Spirituals of the torch singer extraordinaire, psych-soul artist Lady BlackBird and disco soul with a gospel vibe of Mississippi's Annie & The Caldwells. Pittsburgh-based vocalist, Anyah Nancy, New York's Hip/Hop/Jazz ensemble The Rakiem Walker Project, Cleveland's soul songstress, T. Marie & Friends, and Akron music scene standout, Nathan Paul Davis & the Admirables, show us what we can look forward to in the future of American culture-shaping music.
Beat makers Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice founder, Terri Lyne Carrington; Nate Smith, who was recently named Artistic Director of Newport Jazz Festival; and Pittsburgh-native and Hampton, VA, media personality and founder of the Hampton Road Jazz Festival, Jae Sinnett, brings a funky, rock inspired, jazz set called The Blur the Lines Project, featuring music by Jimi Hendrix, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Buddy Miles and more.
A Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to the American treasure, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, known for his signature, “Purdie Shuffle,” and his contributions and back beat to thousands of American classics, from Steely Dan to Aretha Franklin to James Brown. “He is the one that MUSICIANS are excited to see on stage” says Janis Burley. Mr. Purdie's legacy spans country, blues, jazz, R&B and funk music. He has played on over 4,000 albums and worked with over 2,500 artists. Mr. Purdie will perform some of his hit songs with a band created by Dwayne Dolphin, veteran Pittsburgh-based bassist and member of Fred Wesley/James Brown's band, The New JB's.
For the fourth straight year, pianist/bandleader/composer Orrin Evans will host THE JAZZ TRAIN, in partnership with AWAACC and Amtrak. The travel package includes round-trip train tickets from New York, Newark or Philadelphia, live jazz music during the trip, light refreshments and exciting jazz-related games and activities followed by four days of live music at the Festival. Passengers are responsible for securing the hotel and festival events of their choice.
In the month and weeks leading up to the Festival, the PIJF will collaborate with numerous community partners, including the Pittsburgh International Airport, Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh, Afro-American Music Institute, schools, universities and more. Free concerts, student jam sessions, and the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Poster Contest sponsored by Duolingo will keep the region engaged before, during, and after the big festival weekend in September.
Festival attendees can purchase single-day or full weekend VIP Passes separately or as a bundle with The Jazz Train tickets. VIP access includes priority seating for outdoor stages, access to a lounge area inside the AWAACC building, VIP-only bars and more. VIP Passes are limited, and advance booking is recommended.
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