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

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 

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

Presented by: Ravinia’s Steans Institute

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

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

Presented by: 90.9 FM, WDCB 

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

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

Presented by: Ravina Festival and Uniting Voices Chicago

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

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

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

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

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

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