Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival’s 2026 edition is ready to electrify the city with ten days of world-class music

From Friday 17th to Sunday 26th July, the city will come alive as venues across Edinburgh host an incredible line-up of jazz and blues artists from around the globe whilst also showcasing the best of homegrown music. The festival offers a genre-spanning celebration – from bebop to boogie-woogie, funk to soul, trad to hip-hop, swing to searing blues-rock. There is something for every musical mood in this year’s programme. 

Ali Affleck

From Fri 17 – Sun 26 July, the festival will feature: 

• More than 100 concerts taking place across the city 
• Mardi Gras returns to Edinburgh’s Grassmarket
• Edinburgh Festival Carnival – Edinburgh’s largest multi-cultural event
• Edinburgh Napier University Jazz Summer School
• A host of interactive events including kid’s shows and talks
  

Acclaimed American saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, legendary band The Bad Plus, Louisianan blues star D.K. Harrell, mesmerising Italian singer Simona Parrinello and French guitarist Nguyên Lê are some of the international stars that audiences can look forward to. These names join the previously announced gigs from New Orleans’ Tuba Skinny, American festival favourites Davina and The Vagabonds and Jerron Paxton, a celebration of world music in an Afrobeat Party, and a tribute concert in memory of Edinburgh pianist Brian Kellock.

D. K. Harrell

Scottish artists are the beating heart of the programme, with an array of new and exciting bands, projects and commissions including Seonaid Aitken’s follow up to her award-winning Chasing Sakura; Fergus McCreadie playing a series of duo gigs with his musical heroes, and Konrad Wiszniewski celebrating his Scottish and Polish roots. The festival will also see new projects from GAÏA, Norman&Corrie, Mantis Ensemble, Finlay Mackenzie and Matt Carmichael, supported by Creative Scotland through the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund.

The Mardi Gras brings a free afternoon of non-stop entertainment to Edinburgh’s Grassmarket on Saturday 18 July. Bands will perform across multiple stages throughout the afternoon, bringing a taste of New Orleans to the heart of historic Edinburgh. 

The Edinburgh Festival Carnival, Scotland’s largest and most flamboyant multicultural event, returns to the city centre on Sunday 19 July with over 800 participants from across the globe and from the heart of Edinburgh.

Check out the full programme at ejbf.co.uk