Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2026: Our Highlights
The Melbourne International Jazz Festival returns for its 29th year, and it’s shaping up to be one of the richest programs yet — over 150 performances from more than 550 artists across ten days. We love how this festival mixes genuine jazz royalty with soul, funk and blues, and how much of it plays out in venues we already know and love, like Hamer Hall and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.
As always, we’ll be spotlighting the performances that suit a relaxed, well-planned outing — seated shows, familiar names, and evenings that don’t demand you stand in a laneway bar until midnight.
Read on for our top picks from this year’s program, plus everything you need to know about tickets, accessibility and getting there.
Related reading: Music Concerts in Melbourne: Venues & Where to Find What’s On
When is the Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2026?
MIJF runs from 16–25 October 2026, taking over concert halls, jazz clubs and open-air stages across the city. This is only the first artist announcement — the full program is still being released, so we’ll keep updating this guide as more shows are confirmed.
Our MIJF 2026 Highlights
We’ve focused on the shows in seated, easy-to-navigate venues, since they tend to make for the most comfortable night out.
1. Dee Dee Bridgewater & Helen Sung — Hamer Hall, Saturday 24 October, 7:30pm
Three-time Grammy winner Dee Dee Bridgewater returns to Melbourne after a decade away, joined by pianist and Guggenheim Fellow Helen Sung for an intimate duet performance. Expect bold phrasing, scat flair and reinterpretations of the Great American Songbook. This is the pick of the program if you want a big name in a comfortable, fully seated venue.
When: Saturday 24 October, 7:30pm
Venue: Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne
2. The Teskey Brothers, Fred Wesley & the New JBs, Emily Wurramara — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Saturday 17 October, 3:00pm
The festival’s opening day brings together a strong line-up of soul, funk, jazz and blues, headlined by The Teskey Brothers and joined by funk legend Fred Wesley and ARIA-winning vocalist Emily Wurramara. The Bowl has reserved seating as well as lawn areas — if steep paths or standing aren’t for you, book a seated ticket rather than the lawn.
When: Saturday 17 October, 3:00pm
Venue: Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Read our guide: Sidney Myer Music Bowl: What to Know Before You Go
3. Aziza (Holland/Potter/Loueke/Harland) — Hamer Hall, Sunday 25 October, 6:00pm
Four titans of modern jazz — Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke and Eric Harland — reunite to mark ten years since their acclaimed eponymous release as Aziza. A rare chance to see this line-up together again, and a fitting way to close out the festival.
Venue: Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne
4. The Bad Plus — Melbourne Recital Centre, Wednesday 21 October, 8:00pm
Billed as their final Australian appearance, this is a genuine chance to catch a significant name in jazz before they call it a day. Melbourne Recital Centre is one of the most comfortable, easy-to-navigate venues on the festival program.
Venue: Melbourne Recital Centre
5. Tigran Hamasyan — Melbourne Recital Centre, Friday 23 October, 8:00pm
Armenian pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan returns to Melbourne with his distinctive blend of jazz, folk and classical influences. This one is already listed as selling fast, so it’s worth booking sooner rather than later.
Venue: Melbourne Recital Centre
MIJF Ticket Discounts and Deals
Tickets for the first wave of shows are on sale now through MIJF’s Early Release, with more of the 2026 program still to be announced.
A few ways to make the most of your festival budget:
- MIJF Jazz Club membership: An annual membership gets you discounted tickets, invitation-only events and ticket giveaways.
- Companion Card holders: Qualify for a free companion ticket. For most events, book through the MIJF box office on (03) 9001 1388. For shows at Hamer Hall, Forum Melbourne or Sidney Myer Music Bowl, contact those venues directly.
- Mob Tickets: Discounted tickets are available to members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community for select performances, though allocation is limited.
- More than a third of the program is free or low-cost, so there’s plenty to explore even on a tighter budget — we’ll flag these as the free program is released.
Check the festival website for full ticketing details and the latest on-sale dates, as these vary by show and venue.
MIJF accessibility
Accessible seating is marked with a wheelchair symbol on each event listing — if you don’t see it, access may be limited and it’s worth checking with venue staff before booking. Performances with sound amplification for people who are deaf or hard of hearing are marked with an Assistive Listening symbol, and Auslan-interpreted shows are marked separately.
For the Melbourne Recital Centre, Hamer Hall and Sidney Myer Music Bowl shows we’ve featured above, both venues are step-free with lifts, accessible toilets on all levels, and hearing loop access — our existing guides to Melbourne Recital Centre, Hamer Hall and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl cover the practical details in full.
One practical tip: discuss any access requirements with venue staff before booking, rather than after — it makes it much easier for them to find you the right seat.
Getting there
Since this year’s highlighted shows are in the CBD, they are mostly an easy few minutes’ walk from Flinders Street Station, with all St Kilda Road trams stopping nearby. If you’re heading to a show at a different venue as the program expands, we’d recommend checking that venue’s own transport page, since parking and drop-off details vary considerably across the festival’s 25-plus locations.
Easy options for a day or night out
As the rest of the 2026 program is announced, we’ll keep updating this guide with more picks, ticketing details and practical tips. In the meantime, the shows above are a lovely way to build an evening around — dinner beforehand in Southbank, a show at Hamer Hall or the Bowl, and an easy walk back to Flinders Street to head home.
Explore the full program at melbournejazz.com — and check back here as more of the 2026 line-up is confirmed.
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