Full Lineup Released for the 2026 Chicago Jazz Festival!

The Chicago Jazz Festival, a Labor Day weekend tradition, returns to Millennium Park and the Chicago Cultural Center to celebrate all forms of jazz through free, high-quality music programming. Over the course of four days, the festival continues its legacy of showcasing Chicago's vibrant jazz community alongside national and international artists to raise awareness and appreciation for one of the city's most beloved art forms - all completely free to the public.

Produced by DCASE and programmed by the Jazz Institute of Chicago (JIC), the world's largest free jazz festival returns with a powerhouse lineup of global icons and rising stars - honoring Chicago's legacy as one of the top jazz capitals in the world. This year's festival presents an extraordinary gathering of genre-defining artists. Headliners include Grammy Award-winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater performing with acclaimed pianist Bill Charlap on opening night, genre-defying pianist and producer Robert Glasper, M.E.B. (Miles Electric Band) celebrating the Miles Davis Centennial, and Grammy-winning clarinetist and saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera. Glasper will also kick off the festival on Thursday, Sept. 3, with a riveting "Music to Movies Scoring Master Class". WDCB is again a major media sponsor for the festival.

The Jay Pritzker Pavilion will also spotlight an impressive roster of Chicago's finest jazz talents, including Maggie and Africa Brown, Joel Ross, the Jo Ann Daugherty Trio with Henry Johnson, the Luciano Antonio Quintet, The Chicago Project, the Patricia Brennan Septet, Paul Marinaro, the Bruce Henry Quintet, Isaiah Collier, Bethany Pickens, Emma Dayhuff, Dee Alexander, Corey Wilkes, and others.

The festival will additionally include programming at the Von Freeman Pavilion and the Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace. And for the fifth straight year, WDCB will present four sets each day (Friday through Sunday) featuring top-shelf Chicago jazz musicians at the "WDCB Jazz Lounge" in Millennium Park.

A complete listing of this year’s Chicago Jazz Festival can be found below.

All performances are free and open to the public. Schedule subject to change.

 

Thursday, September 3
(schedule subject to change)

Chicago Cultural Center, Claudia Cassidy Theater

3:45-4:45 p.m. - What is This Thing Called Jazz

Millennium Park, Jay Pritzker Pavilion

6-6:15pm - 2 Brown Sisters: Maggie and Africa Brown 
6:30-7:30pm - Joel Ross Good Vibes
7:45-9pm  - Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap Duo 

 

Friday, September 4
(schedule subject to change)

WDCB Jazz Lounge (South Promenade of Millennium Park)

12:00-1:45pm - Chris Greene Quartet
2:15-4:00pm - Raices Latin Jazz
4:30-6:15pm  - Constantine Alexander Firetet
6:45-7:45pm - Marlene Rosenberg Quintet

Von Freeman Pavilion (North Promenade of Millennium Park)

11:30am - 12:25pm - Stephen Parisi with Kabir Dalawari
12:40-1:35pm - Lily Finnegan's Heat On
1:50-2:45pm - Maison Electronique
3-3:45pm - Scott Burns Quintet

Jay Pritzker Pavilion (Millennium Park)

4-4:45pm - The Jo Ann Daugherty Trio with special guest, Henry Johnson
5:05-6:05pm - Luciano Antonio Quintet 
6:25-7:25pm. - Innovations & Lineage: The Chicago Project featuring Dee Alexander, Corey Wilkes, Isaiah Collier, Paul Cornish, Jonathan Pinson, and Emma Dayhuff
7:45-9pm - Robert Glasper  

 

 

Saturday, September 5
(schedule subject to change)

WDCB Jazz Lounge (South Promenade of Millennium Park)

12:00-1:45pm - Gabriel Wade Quintet
2:15-4:00pm - Ella Grace Sextet
4:30-6:15pm  - John Hanrahan Quartet (Coltrane Tribute)
6:45-7:45pm - Frank Russell Quintet

Von Freeman Pavilion (North Promenade of Millennium Park)

11:30am-12:25pm - Josh Berman & Jason Stein Quartet
12:40-1:35pm - Kevin King Regime
1:50-2:45pm - Joan Collaso
3-3:45pm - Miguel de la Cerna Trio

Young Lions Jazz (Harris Theater Rooftop, Enter on Randolph St.)

11am - MYAC Jazz Combo
12-12:45pm - Whitney Young High School Laflin Collective
1-1:45pm - New Trier High School Jazz Ensemble 1
2-2:45pm - Dekalb High School Jazz Ensemble
3-3:45pm - Kenwood Academy High School Jazz Band

Jay Pritzker Pavilion (Millennium Park)

4-4:45pm - Prodigio Claudio
5:05-6:05pm - Patricia Brennan Septet 
6:25-7:25pm - Paul Marinaro's “Mood Ellington”
7:45-9pm - M.E.B. (Miles Electric Band) celebrating The Miles Davis Centennial 

Sunday, September 6
(schedule subject to change)

WDCB Jazz Lounge (South Promenade of Millennium Park)

12:00-1:45pm - Arman Sangalang Quintet
2:15-4:00pm - Alex Beltran (Sunday Soul) 
4:30-6:15pm  - Michele Thomas Septet
6:45-7:45pm - Ricardo Jiménez Quintet

Von Freeman Pavilion (North Promenade of Millennium Park)

11:30am-12:25pm - M.A.D.D. Rhythms
12:40-1:35pm - John Wojciechowski Quartet
1:50-2:45pm - Chuck Webb and Guru Tonic
3-3:45pm - Jeremiah Hunt

Young Lions Jazz (Harris Theater Rooftop, Enter on Randolph St.)

11am - Victoria Aliz Quintet
12-12:45pm - Blue Aura
1-1:45pm - Miriam Goroff-Behel Quintet
2-2:45pm - Michael Davenport Quartet
3-3:45pm - Carmani Edwards

Jay Pritzker Pavilion (Millennium Park)

4-4:45pm - Bruce Henry Quintet
5:05-6:05pm - Isaiah Collier: “COLLIER plays COLTRANE” 
6:25-7:25pm - Bethany Pickens Soulful Coalition
7:45-9pm - Paquito D’Rivera 

 

The Chicago Jazz Festival programming is generously supported by the following sponsors: 90.9fm WDCB, Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Jazz Magazine, DownBeat Magazine, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Millennium Garages, and Millennium Park Foundation.