Get jazzy with it: Chicago Jazz Festival lineup revealed featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater

Chicago has unveiled the lineup for the 2026 Chicago Jazz Festival, a four-day run of free concerts set for Thursday, Sept. 3, through Sunday, Sept. 6, at Millennium Park, according to a press release by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. The Labor Day weekend tradition will feature internationally known performers, Chicago artists and emerging players.

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Free concerts at Millennium Park

Mayor Brandon Johnson said the festival reflects Chicago’s jazz history and its role in music worldwide, per the press release, adding, “This annual tradition brings together residents and visitors for unforgettable performances while honoring the generations of musicians who have made Chicago a global destination for jazz.” 

DCASE Commissioner Kenya K. Merritt added in the announcement that the event remains one of the city’s most treasured cultural traditions and continues its practice of offering free arts programming downtown.

The festival is produced by DCASE in partnership with the Jazz Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Jazz Festival Committee. The Jazz Institute has helped program the event since 1979, according to the press release.

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Headliners and schedule highlights

The headline acts at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion include Grammy Award-winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater with pianist Bill Charlap on opening night, pianist and producer Robert Glasper, M.E.B. (Miles Electric Band) marking the Miles Davis Centennial, and Grammy-winning clarinetist and saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera.

Glasper will also lead a “Music to Movies Scoring Master Class” on Thursday, Sept. 3, according to the announcement. Other scheduled performers include Joel Ross Good Vibes, Innovations & Lineage: The Chicago Project, Paul Marinaro’s “Mood Ellington,” Patricia Brennan Septet, Bethany Pickens Soulful Coalition and Isaiah Collier performing “COLLIER plays COLTRANE.”

The WDCB Jazz Lounge will return as an indoor-style space for local artists and rising talent. The city said outside alcohol will not be allowed, but alcohol may be purchased inside the venue.

Additional performance details will be announced later. All performances are free and open to the public.