Padua jazz festival 2026

Amii Stewart and Dee Dee Bridgewater: two divas of black music frame the programme of the Padua Jazz Festival 2026. 

Meetings between artists of different generations, stylistic intersections that bring jazz into dialogue with contemporary culture, exploratory listening along the geographical and historical trajectories of African American music: all this can be found in the programme of the Paduan festival, which also stands out for its female presence, with eight women musicians leading sixteen concerts.

From 22 October to 8 November 2026 (with preview events starting from 3 October) the festival hosts stars from both the international scene (Kurt Elling with the Yellowjackets) and the Italian scene (Doctor 3 with Luciano Biondini), artists of the highest prestige but rarely seen in Italy (Delfeayo Marsalis), young rising stars who astonish with their expressive maturity (Isaiah Collier). The exploration of Afro-Latin jazz also continues (Yilian Cañizares, Marialy Pacheco), as does the focus on new artistic currents coming from Africa (Zangbeto) and Italian jazz, with artists whose talent truly deserves rediscovery.

This richly varied cast takes to countless stages: from halls of historical and architectural distinction, including the Hall of the Giants of Liviano of the University of Padua (together with Teatro Verdi and Centro Culturale San Gaetano), to the large-event stage of Gran Teatro Geox, and the more informal spaces of the Department of Physics and Astronomy G. Galilei of the University of Padua, the Astronomical Observatory of Padua, and Barco Teatro.

Students of the University of Padua, which is a partner of the festival, are entitled to a specially reduced price: 5 euros for all theatres, except Verdi and Geox, for which the price is 10 euros. Tickets can be purchased at the box office on the evening of the concert.