Chicago Jazz Alliance, in partnership with UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, recently announced a full lineup of local performances, educational programs and community events taking place across the city as Chicago serves as Global Host City for International Jazz Day 2026.
The celebration included hundreds of events that have already taken place across Chicago, with more than 40 featured events in the final week alone from April 25 to May 2, which spotlight Chicago’s vibrant jazz community by bringing together artists, cultural institutions and audiences in recognition of the art form’s enduring impact in Chicago and around the world.
“International Jazz Day is a powerful reminder of the role Chicago continues to play in shaping and celebrating culture on a global level,” said Kurt Elling, President of Chicago Jazz Alliance and Co-Artistic Director of International Jazz Day 2026 in Chicago. “From world-class performances to grassroots community events and educational programs, this citywide celebration highlights the incredible talent across Chicago and beyond while inspiring the next generation of jazz artists and audiences.”
“Chicago’s jazz legacy is undeniable, and we are honored to support International Jazz Day with a full month of educational and culturally enriching programming that reflects DCASE’s mission. As part of this global celebration, we look forward to sharing Chicago’s creative energy and enduring contributions to jazz with the world,” said Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Acting Commissioner Kenya Merritt.
Highlights of this year’s celebration include two especially meaningful citywide moments: the Monday Night Jazz Club Tour, featuring performances at eight storied jazz clubs across South and Central Chicago, and Tuesday Neighborhood Jazz Night, celebrating the organizations that keep jazz alive in our communities on the South and West sides of Chicago. These special events underscore the collaborative spirit at the heart of Chicago’s jazz community, with venues and organizations that have long championed the artform coming together to present an extraordinary showcase of musicians and performances.
Together with a wide range of additional concerts, educational programs and community gatherings, Chicago has celebrated jazz throughout the entire month of April, leading up to International Jazz Day on April 30.
“We are excited to collaborate with colleagues across the Jazz Community to celebrate the musicians, venues and neighborhoods that are the heart of Chicago Jazz,” said Heather Ireland Robinson, Co-Chair of the Chicago Jazz Alliance Education and Programming Committee and Executive Director of the Jazz Institute of Chicago.
“Whether you are someone that listens to jazz every week or are discovering jazz for the first time, we hope music lovers of all ages will come together to hear and create great music across the city of Chicago as we celebrate International Jazz Day,” said Bill Michel, Co-Chair of the Chicago Jazz Alliance Education and Programming Committee and Executive Director of the Logan Center.
The slate of programming and events can be found at chicagojazzalliance.org.
Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and open to the public.
Local programming is spearheaded by the Chicago Jazz Alliance, a coalition of civic and cultural organizations initiated by Kurt Elling and led by EXPO CHICAGO founder Tony Karman, which brought together the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), the Jazz Institute of Chicago, Ravinia Festival, the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at The University of Chicago, and many others.
This effort is undertaken in partnership with the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, UNESCO’s designated partner for International Jazz Day with Quintin Primo III and Michael Reschke serving as Host City Co-Chairs.
The celebration will culminate with the 15th Anniversary All-Star Global Concert, the largest and most ambitious in Jazz Day history, with more than 40 artists from across the globe already confirmed. The genre-spanning lineup reflects jazz’s evolving influence, blending jazz, blues, classical, hip-hop and global music traditions, with notable Chicago artists prominently represented.
For local event ticketing and more information, visit chicago.jazzday.com.
The Annual International Jazz Day celebration highlights the power of jazz and its role in promoting peace, dialogue among cultures, and respect for human dignity. International Jazz Day has become a global movement reaching more than a billion people annually on all continents through educational programs, performances, community outreach, radio, television and streaming, along with electronic, print, and social media.
The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz serves as the lead nonprofit organization charged with planning, promoting and producing International Jazz Day in the Host City and around the world each year.
Celebrating International Jazz Day, Chicago Jazz Philharmonic (CJP) presents Sketches of Spain: Revisited, an orchestral reimagining of the iconic 1960 original by Miles Davis and Gil Evans. For this reinterpretation of the 1960 classic recording, CJP artistic director and composer Orbert Davis created two additional compositions, incorporating traditional African and Middle Eastern instruments and making modifications to the ensemble orchestration. These intimate yet powerful concerts will transport audiences to a different world.
During other festivities, CJP orchestra members will create a sound rooted in Spanish culture. “I hope that audiences will be able to identify with the passion and emotion expressed in this work,” says Davis. “There is a story behind the music, and audience members need to interpret that story for themselves.”