Melbourne’s live music calendar gets a major addition this October as the Melbourne International Jazz Festival returns for ten days of performances, late-night sessions and free events across the city.
Running from 16–25 October 2026, the festival brings together more than 550 artists from 18 countries, with a programme spanning jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop and experimental music.
From international performers taking over Melbourne’s major concert halls to free street parties and intimate late-night gigs, the festival offers plenty of opportunities to discover live music across the city.
Big performances and international names
The 2026 programme brings together internationally recognised performers, Australian favourites and musicians exploring the boundaries of jazz and contemporary music.
Among the major highlights is The Teskey Brothers, headlining a day of soul, funk, jazz and blues at Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Saturday 17 October. They’ll be joined by funk pioneer Fred Wesley & The New JBs and ARIA-winning vocalist Emily Wurramara.
For a different kind of performance, three-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater takes to the stage at Hamer Hall on Saturday 24 October, while pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan brings his distinctive combination of jazz, heavy grooves and Armenian musical influences to Melbourne Recital Centre on Friday 23 October.
Other international highlights include Benjamin Clementine, performing at the Forum on Tuesday 20 October, and Aziza, the supergroup featuring Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke and Eric Harland, which closes the festival at Hamer Hall on Sunday 25 October.
Free street parties and live music around Melbourne
Not everything at the festival requires a ticket. A substantial selection of free events brings live music into Melbourne’s public spaces, offering another way to experience the programme.
One of the major events is the Second Line Street Party on Saturday 17 October, bringing the musical traditions of New Orleans to Melbourne with a procession led by Grammy-winning brass band Rebirth Brass Band.
The celebrations continue at Fed Square, where Rebirth Brass Band will be joined by electronic musician BIGYUKI and Melbourne artist Allysha Joy for a free performance.
Other free events across the festival provide opportunities to catch local and international musicians in public spaces and neighbourhood venues, extending the programme beyond the city’s traditional concert halls.
Late-night jams, parties and experimental sounds
For those who prefer their live music after dark, the festival also has plenty happening beyond its headline concerts.
Haus Party returns with a late-night celebration of jazz, hip-hop, electronic music and groove at Spiegel Haus, bringing together local and international performers alongside DJ sets.
At JazzLab, the festival’s Late Night Jams offer another way to experience Melbourne’s jazz community, with musicians coming together for improvised performances across the festival weekends.
The programme also explores the connections between jazz and other contemporary art forms, with performances incorporating spoken word, hip-hop, electronic music and experimental composition.
For audiences interested in discovering something outside the conventional jazz repertoire, these events offer a different perspective on the genre and its place in Melbourne’s broader music scene.
Something for the whole city
The Melbourne International Jazz Festival extends well beyond its established concert venues, with performances and activities taking place across the city.
Alongside major shows at Hamer Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre and the Forum, the programme includes events in public squares, suburban venues and spaces designed to introduce new audiences to live music.
Families can explore the festival through Inside Out: Jump, Jive, Jazz, a creative programme for children aged two to seven, while film screenings at Fed Square offer another way to engage with jazz and its cultural history.
Whether it’s an afternoon discovering free performances, an evening at a major concert or a late-night session with local musicians, the festival provides plenty of ways to make live music part of the October calendar.
The Melbourne International Jazz Festival runs from 16–25 October 2026. Explore the full programme, ticket information and free events through the official festival website.
