In 2026, Chicago will host International Jazz Day’s 15th Anniversary Celebration, coinciding with the United States’ 250th Anniversary, making it a once-in-a-generation cultural milestone.

The celebrations will showcase Chicago’s legacy and leadership in the world of jazz — past, present, and future — while advancing our mission to elevate the music, support our artists, and connect communities through the power of jazz.

“I’m excited that Chicago, my hometown, is hosting International Jazz Day 2026. It was in my Chicago high school auditorium that I discovered jazz, an event that sparked a lifelong passion and commitment to this powerful art form. Jazz opened doors to creativity, self-expression and freedom.”

HERBIE HANCOCK

Events

Chicago Jazz Alliance is excited to partner with jazz musicians, arts organizations, music educators, venues, and neighbors across Chicago, along with the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz and UNESCO, to celebrate the rich history and community of Chicago jazz, and to introduce new audiences to the power of jazz leading up to the globally broadcast All-Star Global Concert on April 30, 2026.

See below for a selection of featured events. All listed events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted, with more to be announced soon.

Featured
Whitney M Young Magnet High School
Jazz in the Chi Festival
Whitney M Young Magnet High School

The Jazz in the Chi Festival, presented by the Jazz Institute of Chicago, is an educational event for high school, middle school, and elementary school jazz ensembles. Open to participating Chicago Public High Schools.

Presented by: Jazz Institute of Chicago, featuring DePaul University

Whitney M Young Magnet High School
Whitney M Young Magnet High School
Jazz in the Chi Public Concert
Whitney M Young Magnet High School

Local Jazz musicians celebrate a day of learning and community building with a public concert and celebration of jazz across generations.

Presented by: Jazz Institute of Chicago 

Whitney M Young Magnet High School
Bennet Gordon Hall at Ravinia Festival
Celebrating IJD with John Clayton and Steve Wilson
Bennet Gordon Hall at Ravinia Festival

Featuring alumni from Ravinia's Steans Institute and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz.

Presented by: Ravinia’s Steans Institute

Bennet Gordon Hall at Ravinia Festival
Logan Center fo the Arts
Chicago Jazz Philharmonic presents ‘Sketches of Spain: Revisited’
Logan Center fo the Arts

The Chicago Jazz Philharmonic celebrates Miles Davis’ centennial birthday with a reworking of the Miles Davis - Gil Evans classic Sketches in Spain by composer and trumpeter Orbert Davis.

Presented by: Chicago Jazz Philharmonic

Logan Center fo the Arts
PianoForte Chicago
WDCB Celebrates IJD with Robert Irving III Trio
PianoForte Chicago

WDCB celebrates International Jazz Day with a live broadcast interview and intimate performance by Robert Irving III Trio.

Presented by: 90.9 FM, WDCB 

PianoForte Chicago
Jazz Club Tour Experience

Choose between the North Side, South Side, West Side, and Loop routes to visit some of your favorite clubs on a luxury coach bus, featuring great Chicago Jazz musicians and a few special guests in town for International Jazz Day.

Presented by: Jazz Institute of Chicago

Kehrein Center for the Arts
IJD Austin Community Performance
Kehrein Center for the Arts

Featuring the Ravinia Jazz Scholars and Uniting Voices Chicago. Open to participating Chicago Public Schools.

Presented by: Ravina Festival and Uniting Voices Chicago

Kehrein Center for the Arts
IJD Neighborhood Jazz Night

Celebrating Jazz in Chicago and International Jazz Day: Neighborhood Jazz Night on Chicago’s South and West Sides.

Presented by and in partnership with: The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), BandWith Chicago, CENIC Global, Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago West Community Music Center, DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, Earnest Dawkin’s Live the Spirit Residency, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, Jazz Institute of Chicago, Margaret Murphy-Webb, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, and Southside Jazz Coalition

Hyde Park Academy High School
Special Tribute to Herbie Hancock
Hyde Park Academy High School

A special tribute to Mr. Hancock in the school auditorium where he first discovered jazz during his high school years in Chicago with special musical presentations for the Hyde Park Academy students.

Presented by: Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz

Hyde Park Academy High School
Lyric Opera of Chicago
International Jazz Day 2026 All-Star Global Concert
Lyric Opera of Chicago

With artistic direction by Herbie Hancock and Kurt Elling, the 15th Anniversary All-Star Global Concert is the centerpiece of International Jazz Day 2026 in Chicago, featuring a record number of acclaimed artists from around the world.

Presented by: Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz and UNESCO

Lyric Opera of Chicago
Logan Center for the Arts
Isaiah Collier Logan Center School Matinee
Logan Center for the Arts

Isaiah Collier’s sound is a dynamic flurry of metaphors. He plays his influences, which he describes as a “sonic timemachine; you can’t really put a time or destination on it.”

Presented by: Logan Center for the Arts and UChicago Presents

Logan Center for the Arts
Logan Center for the Arts
Isaiah Collier: ‘In Tribute to the Classics of John Coltrane’
Logan Center for the Arts

Isaiah Collier’s saxophone sound is both fierce and deeply reflective—rooted in tradition yet stretching toward the future. Named Chicago Tribune’s Jazz Artist of the Year and a New York Times Top Ten honoree, his musicianship carries a wisdom beyond his years. With his band, The Chosen Few, Collier channels the spirit of John Coltrane’s legendary quartets, delivering a performance that’s powerful, intricate, and alive with possibility. 

Presented by: UChicago Presents

Logan Center for the Arts
Symphony Center
Mike Reed’s Chicago Inspirations
Symphony Center

Curated by Mike Reed, Owner and Director, Chicago’s Constellation and Hungry Brain, the evening includes performances of: The Magic Box: Music inspired by the Chicago bassist Fred Hopkins Drummer-composer Mike Reed explores the legacy of Chicago bassist and AACM member Fred Hopkins with new works, including a commission by Henry Threadgill.

Presented by: Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Symphony Center

Partners

Participating organizations and partners include the following, among many others with additional announcements to come.

If you are interested in hosting an IJD Global Concert Watch-Party; have a jazz event happening in April that you would like included in our Chicago Highlight jazz event listing; or would like to learn more about how to be involved, please email info@chicagojazzalliance.org

  • 51st Street Business Association

  • Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians

  • BandWith Chicago

  • Bassline

  • Bethel New Life

  • CENIC Global

  • Chicago International Film Festival

  • Chicago Jazz Orchestra

  • Chicago Jazz Philharmonic

  • Chicago Park District

  • Chicago Public Schools

  • Chicago Sister Cities International

  • Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association

  • Chicago West Community Music Center

  • Choose Chicago

  • City Club Chicago

  • Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago

  • Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)

  • The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center

  • Epiphany Center for the Arts

  • Ernest Dawkins’ Live The Spirit Residency

  • Hyde Park Jazz Festival

  • Illinois Arts Council

  • Jazz Institute of Chicago

  • Jazz Journalists Association

  • Jazz Showcase

  • Kehrein Center for the Arts

  • Leadership Greater Chicago

  • Lyric Opera of Chicago

  • Mark Ruffin

  • Millennium Park Foundation

  • The Obama Foundation

  • Ravinia Festival

  • Reggies Chicago

  • Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at The University of Chicago

  • South Side Jazz Coalition

  • Tammy McCann Presents

  • UChicago Presents

  • Uniting Voices Chicago

  • WDCB

  • World Business Chicago

Listen Up

Listen to your favorite jazz record and share your picks online and mention us (@IntlJazzDay).

Need ideas? We put together a handy playlist on Spotify featuring tons of great artists and tracks.

  • “On this day, we are reminded how jazz can provide hope, healing and energy as we work to build a better and more peaceful world.”

    - UN Secretary-General António Guterres International Jazz Day 2026

  • “I am delighted to announce that Chicago will host the 2026 International Jazz Day concert. A major hub of this music and art of living for over a century, this legendary American city has seen the birth of so many great names in jazz. And what better way for UNESCO to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America than by making its musical heritage resound around the world?”

    - Audrey Azoulay UNESCO Director-General

  • “Today is an incredible celebration of an art form that helped shape America’s cultural heartbeat and found one of its greatest homes here in ChicagoThroughout our history, Illinois has been a hub of jazz music where many of the greats performed, made their names, and transformed the genre. Jazz is part of the history and cultural lifeblood of Chicago, and I can’t think of a better place to celebrate the genre’s roots and enduring legacy during International Jazz Day.”

    - Illinois Governor JB Pritzker

  • “Chicago's vibrant jazz legacy runs deep. Since the earliest days of the Great Migration, jazz has been interwoven with our city's cultural fabric and identity. Hosting International Jazz Day in 2026 here in Chicago is a tremendous honor and a powerful testament to the enduring spirit and innovation of our musicians and our passionate jazz community.”

    - Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson

  • “I’m honored that UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute have chosen Chicago as the host city for IJD 2026. Chicago’s rich history in Jazz and Blues makes it the perfect place to celebrate the music and highlight the city’s ongoing educational and world-class performances. We look forward to welcoming the whole world home to our Sweet Home, Chicago!”

    - Kurt Elling