Jazzkaar 2026

Series

The 37th Tallinn International Festival Jazzkaar has announced its programme, featuring nearly 140 events from 25 April to 2 May, including more than 35 diverse concerts by outstanding musicians from 15 countries. The grand jazz celebration will take over Telliskivi Creative City, with performances at Von Krahl Theatre and Fotografiska Tallinn, while the festival’s headliner, Jordan Rakei, will take the stage on 27 April at Alexela Concert Hall. Ticket sales begin on 4 February at 9:00 a.m. Early buyers can enjoy a special offer, with tickets to announced concerts available at a 40% discount for a limited time.

“Jazzkaar delights music lovers with a truly special programme, where alongside jazz at the highest level, audiences can also enjoy passionate flamenco, bossa nova, tango, hip-hop, and retro-inspired performances,” says Jazzkaar’s Artistic Director Anne Erm. “We will also mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Miles Davis, the musician who has influenced world jazz more than any other. Special highlights will be provided by our own internationally acclaimed artists – Kadri Voorand, Bianca Rantala, Villu Veski, Erki Pärnoja, and Kirke Karja. I hope listeners will discover their favourites and enjoy the festival’s concerts, connections, and unique atmosphere.”

This year’s Jazzkaar offers the chance to encounter some of Europe’s most exciting contemporary musicians – from the red-hot Moses Yoofee Trio, drawing on jazz, soul, and hip-hop, to Robinson Khoury’s project MŸA, led by one of the brightest stars of the new generation of French jazz. Pianist Martin Roth arrives from Germany to treat audiences to an airy, minimalist electronic ambient concert, while the Estonian Jazz Awards evening will feature Bianca Rantala’s new work Gigil Marathon, written especially for the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra and harpejji virtuoso Valter Soosalu.

The festival’s headliner is Jordan Rakei, one of the most influential voices in British neo-soul and jazz, renowned for his warm timbre and deeply moving vocals. British singer Mica Millar adds beauty to the programme with music that is both whisper-soft and powerfully confident, while Oddisee & Good Compny unleash bubbling beats and compelling rap. Hovering on the delicate edge of masculinity and sensuality, Zé Ibarra draws audiences into the very heart of contemporary Brazilian culture and music.

American jazz at its highest level is represented by guitar legend and Grammy winner Bill Frisell, performing together with violist Eyvind Kang; by saxophonist Donny McCaslin, the architect of the evocative sound world of David Bowie’s final album; by the all-star ensemble Kneebody; and by Kennedy Administration, celebrated for their powerful vocals and joyful groove.

Jazzkaar’s opening concert will present Lady Sapiens, a new work by Mingo Rajandi that explores the role of women and the concept of femininity through the prism of the Stone Age. At Jazzkaar, Kadri Voorand will introduce her soon-to-be-released album Songs to Hold You, joined on stage by Mihkel Mälgand and Puuluup. One of the festival’s most exclusive encounters takes place on 2 May, when Estonian pop icon Anne Veski delivers a one-off performance together with the homegrown funk powerhouse Lexsoul Dancemachine.

Programme of Jazzkaar 2026: 

Jordan Rakei (UK); Bill Frisell & Eyvind Kang (USA); Mingo Rajandi “Lady Sapiens” (Estonia–Belgium); Naissoo Freeform Quintet tribute to U2; Robinson Khoury MŸA (France); Erki Pärnoja: Himmelbjerget 10 (Estonia–Sweden–Denmark); Pukk brings Dilla; Antonio Lizana Quintet (Spain); Villu Veski & Katrina Petersen “Nordic Ballads” feat. Šatro Shaman Drums Orchestra (Estonia–Denmark); Kneebody (USA); Kass–Talsi–Sink–Minn; Kennedy Administration (USA); Johannes Laas “Passenger Seat”; Kadri Voorand & Mihkel Mälgand “Songs to Hold You” feat. Puuluup; Joel Remmel Trio 15! feat. Hans Christian Aavik & Aleksandra Kremenetski; Mica Millar (UK); Bianca Rantala, Valter Soosalu & UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra “Gigil Marathon” (Estonia–Finland); David Helbock & Julia Hofer feat. Mahan Mirarab (Austria); Moses Yoofee Trio (Germany); Marten Kuningas & Miljardid. Anton Corbijn; Miles Davis 100. Jason Hunter Sextet (USA–Estonia–Finland); Kirke Karja “Odyssey” feat. Annabel Soode & Raw Fish (Estonia–Holland–Italy); Donny McCaslin “Lullaby For the Lost” (USA); Sol y Sombra Quartet; Oddisee & Good Compny Band (USA); Zé Ibarra (Brazil); Martin Roth (Germany); Some Times; Anne Veski & Lexsoul Dancemachine

The 37th Tallinn International Festival Jazzkaar will take place across Estonia from 25 April to 2 May. Traditionally based in the inspiring Telliskivi Creative City, the festival will also bring concerts to audiences in Tartu, Pärnu, Viljandi, Haapsalu, Otepää, and Rakvere. A limited number of early-bird tickets are available at a 40% discount, excluding concerts by previously announced artists – Béla Fleck, Mingo Rajandi, Jordan Rakei, Bill Frisell & Eyvind Kang, Kneebody, and Kennedy Administration. Young jazz fans aged 8–20 are eligible for a 50% discount on festival tickets. Explore the festival programme and artists on the official website, follow Jazzkaar on Facebook and Instagram, and purchase tickets via Piletikeskus.

The festival’s main sponsors are JURA, Jazz Pesulad, and Eesti Päevaleht. Annual supporters include United Motors, Nordic Hotel Forum, and Tallink. The Jordan Rakei concert is brought to Estonia with the support of Viru Keskus, while the Kennedy Administration concert is presented by Seesam Insurance. The festival hub is established with the support of Telliskivi Creative City, Prike, and Fotografiska Tallinn. Additional supporters include Reval Café, Aren, Aktaprint, RGB Baltic, the Estonian Authors’ Society, Piletikeskus, the Ministry of Culture, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Tallinn – UNESCO City of Music, and the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency. Artists from their respective countries are supported by the Austrian Embassy, the Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil, and the French Institute in Estonia.