A Free Celebration of Jazz in the Twin Cities Heart

The Twin Cities Jazz Festival stands as one of the upper Midwest's largest free civic jazz festivals, having grown over 27 years from a small downtown Minneapolis gathering into a sprawling, region-wide celebration of America's indigenous art form. Running June 18–20, 2026, the festival anchors itself in Mears Park in Saint Paul's historic Lowertown neighborhood while extending across more than 18 local venues—from intimate supper clubs like Crooners to breweries, restaurants, and music theaters.

The 2026 Lineup: World-Class Talent

The 23rd annual festival brings an impressive array of world-class artists. Yellowjackets, a contemporary jazz fusion ensemble with 43 years of history, 16 Grammy nominations, and 2 wins, perform Friday night with current members Russell Ferrante (keyboards), Bob Mintzer (sax), Will Kennedy (drums), and Dane Alderson (bass). Saturday brings JazzMN Orchestra with special guest vocalist Michael Mayo, whose 2024 album "Fly" received two Grammy nominations and whose collaborators include Herbie Hancock and Jacob Collier.

Sullivan Fortner Trio, with a Grammy-winning pianist who collaborates with Wynton Marsalis and Dee Dee Bridgewater, leads Saturday's main stage performances. Lucia Sarmiento, a Peruvian-American saxophonist with a background touring with Pitbull and Karol G, brings a blend of jazz, funk, and traditional Peruvian rhythms. Local Minneapolis favorite Zacc Harris, named Best Jazz Artist by City Pages in 2017, grounds the lineup with Minneapolis roots. The festival also elevates emerging and regional talent through dozens of acts spanning genres from traditional hard bop and Brazilian rhythms to New Orleans street jazz and Ethiopian fusion.

Education and Community

A hallmark of the festival is its commitment to developing the next generation of musicians. Headlining artists host masterclasses at Walker West Music Academy and MacPhail Center for Music. The metroNOME Youth Jazz Orchestra, Central High School Jazz Ensembles, and Minneapolis College Jazz Ensemble take the main stage alongside professional acts, creating mentorship moments and pathways for young musicians. The festival's philosophical stance—that jazz is a living, evolving art form best learned through direct engagement—guides its educational programming.

Venue Model and Experience

The distributed multi-venue model turns the Lowertown neighborhood into a walkable jazz district. Rather than a single festival grounds, performances occur simultaneously across Crooners Supper Club (hosting the Dunsmore Jazz Room, Belvedere Stage, and Maggie's Piano Lounge), MetroNOME Brewery (with its Fingal's Cave secondary stage), Berlin, Nautilus Music-Theater, the Dakota, Gambit Brewing, White Squirrel Bar, Erta Ale Ethiopian Restaurant, and many others. This creates both intimate settings for deeper musical experiences and large outdoor stages at Mears Park. Most sets run one hour, with headliners performing 75 to 90 minutes. Outdoor programming observes a 10:00 PM city curfew, though indoor venues continue into the evening.

Accessibility and Community Welcome

All performances at all venues are free. The festival's commitment to removing barriers extends to physical accessibility: wheelchair-accessible seating is located at the front right side of the main stage at Mears Park, and all Lowertown parking ramps are wheelchair-accessible. Staff and volunteers are available to assist guests. The festival explicitly welcomes all attendees regardless of background or familiarity with jazz.

Supported Mission

Operating as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, the festival's core mission centers on bringing communities together to enjoy and appreciate jazz while inspiring new generations of young musicians. This mission is enabled by corporate sponsors, foundations, grants, and individual donations—all contributing to keeping this celebration free and accessible to the Twin Cities region.