August 15 Downtown Jamboree at Lackawanna Plaza Performers Include:
- Take Me to the River New Orleans All-Stars (featuring Cyril Neville)
- Dianne Reeves
- Christian McBride Big Band w/ Bilal
- Patrice Rushen
- Spanish Harlem Orchestra
- JAZZ HOUSE Collective Celebrates John Coltrane and Miles Davis
- Gotham Kings
Five-Week Soundcheck Series Performers Include:
- Bobby Watson/Jason Moran (June 16)
- The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Guest Conductor John Faddis (July 1)
- Michele Rosewoman and Quintessence/Orrin Evans Trio (July 14)
- Joel Ross’ Good Vibes (July 28)
- Rebirth Brass Band (August 4)
2026 MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL Selected by Smithsonian Institution as a Collaborating Festival for “Of The People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals” to Commemorate the United States Semiquincentennial
May 13, 2026: Today, the nationally-recognized nonprofit JAZZ HOUSE KiDS announced the full lineup of the 17th annual MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL. The 2026 edition returns to the heart of downtown Montclair, New Jersey with their most celebrated artist performances all summer long, including centennial celebrations of Miles Davis and John Coltrane. The festivities begin with five evening Soundcheck Series concerts starting in June at The Wellmont Arts Plaza, and culminates with the all-day Downtown Jamboree + Block Party on Saturday, August 15, 2026 at the historic, eight-acre Lackawanna Plaza.
This year’s Downtown Jamboree’s featuring headliners Dianne Reeves, Christian McBride Big Band with Bilal, Patrice Rushen, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, and Take Me to the River New Orleans All Stars featuring Cyril Neville (underwritten by the Gia Maione Prima Foundation). The Gotham Kings return to kick off the day’s festivities with a New Orleans styled second line band marching down Bloomfield Avenue – led by trumpeter Alphonso Horne, the band will march through the heart of Montclair, from Church Street and Park Avenue, to the Downtown Jamboree at Lackawanna Plaza. A second stage at the festival site will feature 150+ young artists, including the JAZZ HOUSE Collective (honoring Miles Davis + John Coltrane), and the JAZZ HOUSE All-Stars.
Soundcheck Series lead up performers will include Bobby Watson/Jason Moran (June 16), The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Guest Conductor John Faddis (July 1), Michele Rosewoman and Quintessence underwritten by the Chamber Music America Presenter Consortium for Jazz / Orrin Evans (July 14), Joel Ross’ Good Vibes (July 28), and Rebirth Brass Band underwritten by the Gia Maione Prima Foundation (August 4). Produced by the jazz education and cultural performance organization JAZZ HOUSE KiDS, MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL is the region’s largest outdoor summer jazz fest, welcoming tens of thousands of music fans to Montclair each year.
Also new in 2026, the Smithsonian Institution has selected MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL as a collaborating festival for “Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals,” one of a select number of festivals chosen to help commemorate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. For this occasion, the Smithsonian is taking its oldest and largest public event—the annual Folklife Festival—on the road to communities across the country for a stop at this year’s MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL. By taking the Folklife Festival beyond Washington, DC to places like Montclair, the Smithsonian will join millions of people in their own communities to commemorate the nation’s semiquincentennial, amplifying how festivals serve as enduring tools for civic engagement and cultural exchange.
In addition to commemorating the United States semiquincentennial, the 2026 MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL will celebrate the centennials of seminal figures Miles Davis and John Coltrane, honoring their legacies with a special tribute performance, and through the festival’s artwork by visual artist Andres Chaparro. Fitting with the theme of honoring America’s quintessential original artform, MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL artistic director Christian McBride has selected performing artists to spotlight major US jazz cities that have shaped our culture and tell our national story.
