The Madrid International Jazz Festival, better known as JAZZMADRID, puts international headliners, Spanish musicians and new names on stages across the city each autumn. Organised by Madrid City Council, the 2026 edition brings Kurt Elling with The Yellowjackets, Cécile McLorin Salvant and a double centenary tribute to Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
What it is
JAZZMADRID is the jazz festival run by Madrid City Council, and it spreads well beyond a single venue. The official programme sits at the Teatro Fernán Gómez (Centro Cultural de la Villa), CentroCentro and Contemporánea Condeduque, then grows through partner cycles in clubs, theatres and neighbourhood cultural centres, so it can be followed from large halls down to small rooms.
The festival's stated approach is to link tradition and renewal, with projects that talk to the great masters alongside some of the newest sounds in jazz. In 2025 it drew more than 62,000 spectators to 230 concerts and a conference across 42 spaces, according to the City Council, and the 2026 poster is signed by Madrid illustrator Jorge Arévalo. Spanish creation has its own place beside the international names, and student big bands are on the bill, which the programme presents as a commitment to training and generational renewal.
JAZZMADRID 2026 programme
Two threads run through the programme: the centenaries of Miles Davis and John Coltrane, and a strong presence of the genre's newer territories.
Miles Davis and John Coltrane, 100 years on
The tributes are concerts and projects conceived for the centenary year rather than a single themed night.
- Pianist Emmet Cohen opens the run with Miles & Coltrane at 100.
- James Carter presents Trane: A Centennial Supreme.
- Jason Miles brings 100 Miles for Miles Davis.
- Emma-Jean Thackray presents Dear Miles: A Love Letter.
- Antonio Serrano and Kaele Jiménez revisit Coltrane's legacy in Jazz CaLó for Coltrane.
Impulso: jazz at its borders
The Impulso cycle sits where jazz meets soul, electronics, Afro-Cuban music, hip hop and urban sounds, with Shabaka Hutchings, Mansur Brown, Takuya Kuroda, Kamaal Williams, Isaiah Sharkey, Michael Mayo and Yuley Díaz.
Partner cycles and venues
- Villanos del Jazz opened the official programme on 2 October with Kraak & Smaak Soundsystem, Madame Excuse and Rayko, and takes concerts to halls and theatres across the city.
- Jazz con sabor a Club, from the Madrid en Vivo venue association, spreads concerts across city clubs.
- Jazz Círculo returns to the Círculo de Bellas Artes, 21 DISTRITOS takes jazz to different districts and Jazz de Ciudad Lineal continues in several cultural centres.
- The Teatro Albéniz and the Institut Français de Madrid also host concerts, and student groups the Big Band of the Conservatorio Arturo Soria and the Soler Jazz Band are on the bill.
Featured artists
The announced line-up mixes touring headliners with Spanish creators and a younger crossover wing.
- Headline projects: Kurt Elling with The Yellowjackets in Celebrate Weather Report, a tribute to one of the most influential groups in electric jazz; Cécile McLorin Salvant with pianist Sullivan Fortner; clarinettist and saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera; and saxophonist David Murray.
- International names: Kenny Barron, Chris Potter, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Shai Maestro, Richard Bona, Al Di Meola, Alfredo Rodríguez and Ibrahim Maalouf, alongside Samara Joy, Lizz Wright, Andrea Motis, Judith Hill, Leonor Watling and Leo Sidran.
- New languages: Mark Guiliana, Nate Smith, Emma-Jean Thackray and Camilla George, alongside the Impulso names above.
- Spanish talent: pianists Moisés P. Sánchez and Marco Mezquida in Va y Ven, Rita Payés with Lucía Fumero, and Daniel García, Raynald Colom, Diego Amador, Javier Vercher, Andrés Coll, Caminero, Lucía Rey, Albert Vila and Perico Sambeat, plus the CMS Trio of Colina, Miralta and Sambeat.
Why it's worth your time
JAZZMADRID covers more ground than a single-venue jazz weekend: two months of concerts across municipal theatres, club rooms and neighbourhood cultural centres, under one festival banner. The announced line-up runs from electric fusion and vocal jazz to Afro-Cuban music, Spanish new creation and the crossover sounds of Impulso, and the centenary projects give listeners a route into two musicians who shaped the genre. The City Council describes the festival as offering popular prices.
How to buy tickets
Tickets are sold concert by concert. On the official festival site, each date in the programme carries a ticket icon that leads to the purchase for that specific concert, and the ticket information page explains the process.
Prices are set per concert, so check the listing for the date you want before choosing.
Practical info
The venue changes from one listing to the next, because concerts are spread across theatres, cultural centres and clubs, so check it before setting off. Anyone planning two shows in one evening should leave travel time between sites.
FAQ
Are there free concerts at the Madrid Jazz Festival?
Most JAZZMADRID concerts are ticketed, but the festival also includes 21 DISTRITOS, the City Council's neighbourhood programme, which the council runs as a free cultural programme. That is the place to look for no-cost jazz. Prices are set per concert, so confirm the price on each listing in the official programme before you go.
Which artists are coming to Madrid for JAZZMADRID 2026?
Kurt Elling with The Yellowjackets, Cécile McLorin Salvant with Sullivan Fortner, Paquito D'Rivera and David Murray lead the line-up. Also announced are Kenny Barron, Chris Potter, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Shai Maestro, Richard Bona, Al Di Meola, Ibrahim Maalouf, Samara Joy and Shabaka Hutchings, plus Spanish names such as Marco Mezquida, Rita Payés and Perico Sambeat.
When and where is JAZZMADRID 2026?
JAZZMADRID 2026 runs from 2 October to 30 November 2026. The official programme is at the Teatro Fernán Gómez, CentroCentro and Contemporánea Condeduque, with more concerts at the Círculo de Bellas Artes, the Teatro Albéniz, the Institut Français de Madrid and the Sala Villanos. The 2025 edition used 42 spaces across the city.
Is JAZZMADRID accessible for people with reduced mobility?
Yes at the official municipal venues. According to the City Council, all of the festival's official municipal venues, the Teatro Fernán Gómez, CentroCentro and Contemporánea Condeduque, are fully accessible for people with reduced mobility. For partner clubs and theatres, check access with the venue before you book.
What happens if a JAZZMADRID concert is cancelled?
Tickets bought by credit card are refunded automatically. People who bought at a box office have to return to one of the sales outlets to get their money back, according to the festival's ticket information page.
