Summer Fest 2026 delivers one of the richest lineups of straight-ahead and modern jazz in recent memory across all three festival days.

On Saturday's Jay Paul Company Main Stage, the "Birds of a Feather" project unites tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson—forged in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and rooted in a Blue Note legacy—with seven-time Grammy nominee Nnenna Freelon, whose 2025 album Beneath the Skin is her most intimate work yet. They're joined by Charles McPherson, George Cables, David Wong and Willie Jones III in an extraordinary summit of jazz masters. The next day, five-time Grammy nominee Lakecia Benjamin brings her warm, resonant tone and a a unique meld of jazz, funk and R&B that honors the tradition while burning with contemporary urgency.

Inside our climate-controlled indoor venues—accessible with an All Stages or above wristband—the jazz goes even deeper. Cyrus Chestnut, a collaborator of Betty Carter and Wynton Marsalis, brings three decades of mastery to the Montgomery Theater Stage. Sylvia Cuenca's Bridging Generations, Grammy winner Nicole Zuraitis Quartet, the Charles Brown Project ft. Nicolas Bearde, and Mike Clark & His Post-Boptet (Craig Handy, Eddie Henderson, Dave Kikoski and Essiet Okon Essiet) add dimension and swing.

Three-time Grammy nominee Gretchen Parlato Quartet ft. Mark Guiliana, Jacob Mann & Alan Hampton and the Juilliard-trained New Jazz Underground bring compelling contemporary voices, while Juno Award-winner Bria Skonberg unites fiery trumpet playing, smoky vocals and masterful storytelling.

Bay Area bassist and bandleader Marcus Shelby rounds out the weekend with "Birth of the Cool Revisited," a nonet exploration of Miles Davis's era-defining 1949 recordings in celebration of his centennial year.

All of this jazz is spread across three days — another great reason to grab your 3-Day Pass now at the lowest price of the season. Buy your pass today!