Toronto Jazz Festival 2026

The Toronto Jazz Festival announces new artists for its 39th edition (June 19–28, 2026), adding five headline concerts and offering a first look at free outdoor programming across the city. The new additions join a lineup that already includes Grammy Award–winning vocalist Cassandra Wilson, genre-defying duo DOMi & JD Beck, Japanese piano virtuoso Hiromi’s Sonicwonder, and London collective Kokoroko, further defining a programme that brings together international artists and a wide range of Canadian talent.

“This festival has always been a place where the world’s most extraordinary artists share a stage with some of the best homegrown talent in Canada,” said Josh Grossman, Artistic Director. “That range is what makes it special. You might see a Grammy nominee from Toronto playing Jazz Bistro one night and an internationally celebrated ensemble at Koerner Hall the next. Jazz thrives on that kind of exchange, and so does this city.”

The Festival opens on June 19 as Toronto steps into a summer of global attention, with the FIFA World Cup drawing international visitors and worldwide media to the city. Jazz and football share a universal language, and the Festival’s programming reflects that international spirit, with artists spanning Canada, the United States, the UK, France, Iceland, Israel, Lebanon, Japan and beyond.

New for 2026, Sounds Like Toronto, Sounds Like the World introduces a curated series housed in the Village of Yorkville Park that brings a distinct cultural lens to the Festival’s programming. Five guest curators, including Uma Nota Culture, Tlalli Festival, Sweet Beets Music, Small World Music and Batuki Music Society, will each present an evening highlighting musical traditions from different regions, reflecting both the diversity of Toronto and the international audiences arriving this summer. Supported by the City of Toronto through the Community Celebration Support Fund, the series adds a new dimension to the outdoor programme. The Festival’s official Late Night Jam returns to The Pilot Tavern in partnership with One Duck, alongside educational initiatives including the Big Band Slam (June 21) and the Jazz Musician Intensive Ensemble (June 27), supported by Long & McQuade.

New Headline Performances

Toronto’s own Laila Biali takes the stage at Jazz Bistro on June 21 and 22 at 8:30 pm, as part of the Festival’s indoor series. A JUNO Award winner, CBC Music national radio host and one of Canada’s most distinctive singer-songwriters and pianists, Biali has just earned her first Grammy nomination, recognized in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category alongside Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Hudson and Laufey. That her deeply Canadian album Wintersongs placed her in that company is remarkable. That she comes home to play Toronto this June makes it even better. Co-presented with Jazz Bistro.

British vocal legend Norma Winstone joins forces with the Atlantic Jazz Collective, anchored by Nova Scotia-born saxophonist Mike Murley and German-born, St. John’s Newfoundland–based pianist Florian Hoefner at Jazz Bistro on June 26 and 27 at 8:30 pm. One of Europe’s most revered jazz voices, Winstone brings decades of interpretive intelligence and lyrical grace to this rare Canadian collaboration, drawing on their celebrated 2025 album Seascape. Co-presented with Jazz Bistro.

French guitarist Stéphane Wrembel brings his extraordinary Sinti jazz sound, reflecting the Romani Sinti tradition, to The Rex Hotel on June 22 (8:00 pm and 10:30 pm). One of the foremost interpreters of Django Reinhardt’s tradition, Wrembel is a singular performer whose playing is simultaneously rooted in jazz history and alive with invention. His music appeared on the soundtrack to Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, and his live performances are intimate and unforgettable. Co-presented with The Rex Hotel.

Israeli trumpeter and composer Avishai Cohen brings Big Vicious to The Rex Hotel on June 23 (8:00 pm and 10:30 pm). Drawing on jazz, post-rock, ambient and groove, Big Vicious defies easy categorization while delivering music of visceral power and melodic depth. This is a performance for listeners who want to be surprised. Co-presented with The Rex Hotel.

The Soul Rebels bring their genre-bending New Orleans brass sound to The Rex Hotel on June 19 (8:00 pm and 10:30 pm) for an opening night party. Known for blending jazz, funk, hip-hop and soul, the group has collaborated with artists ranging from Nas to Metallica and delivers a high-energy live experience that bridges tradition and contemporary culture. Co-presented with The Rex Hotel.

In addition, rising Vancouver-born, Los Angeles–based jazz and soul vocalist Elysia Biro joins The Dip as a special guest on June 24 at the Danforth Music Hall, adding a breakout emerging voice to the Festival’s indoor lineup.

Free programming once again plays a central role in the Festival, transforming Bloor-Yorkville into a hub of live music from opening day. The OLG Village at Village of Yorkville Park anchors the outdoor experience with daily performances, while Sidewalk Sessions, presented by OLG, bring acoustic sets to streets and public spaces throughout the neighbourhood. Late Night Jam programming returns to The Pilot Tavern in partnership with One Duck, alongside select educational initiatives supported by Long & McQuade. Full details of the free programming lineup will be announced in the coming weeks.

That breadth of programming continues to shape the Festival’s growing impact. The Festival has received two meaningful industry recognitions: a nomination for the 2026 Canadian Live Music Award for Medium Festival of the Year, co-presented by Departure and the CLMA, and recognition in the Toronto Readers’ Choice Awards 2025.

“Being recognized by the Canadian Live Music Awards and by Toronto’s readers is a reflection of the relationships that make this Festival possible,” said Sonja Mennie, Director of Operations. “From our venue partners across the city to the sponsors and community organizations who help us bring free programming to Yorkville every summer, those partnerships are what allow us to operate at every level simultaneously. The same care and investment that goes into a night at Koerner Hall goes into a free afternoon concert in the park. That’s what this Festival stands for, and it’s gratifying to see that recognized.”

About the Toronto Jazz Festival:

Since its founding in 1987, the Toronto Jazz Festival has presented more than 35,000 artists and drawn over half a million attendees each year. The Festival showcases internationally renowned performers alongside emerging and established Canadian talent in free and ticketed concerts across Yorkville and the downtown core. Produced by registered charity Toronto Downtown Jazz Society, the Festival invests in artistic excellence, cultural diversity and community engagement, using jazz as a platform for dialogue, education and connection. As Toronto’s international jazz festival, it reflects the city’s creative spirit and global outlook, celebrating music that is inclusive, evolving and alive in every corner of the world.

Website - torontojazz.com