DC JazzFest Releases Initial Slate of 2026 Headliners

By DownBeat I Mar. 2, 2026

Vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater will be among the headliners at this year’s DC JazzFest.
(Photo: Courtesy Dee Dee Bridgewater)

The first wave of artists scheduled to perform at the 2026 DC JazzFest have been announced. This year’s headliners will include vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, saxophonist Joshua Redman, vocalist Kurt Elling, Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles, drummer Nate Smith, guitarist Bill Frisell, pianist Danilo Pérez, trumpeter-composer Etienne Charles’ Creole Soul and piano phenom Emmet Cohen.

With performances taking place Sept. 2–6 in 20 venues across Washington, D.C., the festival will mark major jazz centennials. The African Rhythms Alumni Quintet honors the 100th birthday of NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston, while tributes to John Coltrane and Miles Davis include fast-rising tenor saxman Isaiah Collier celebrating Trane, and the DMV’s own Nasar Abadey and SUPERNOVA remembering Trane & Miles. The DC JazzFest will also spotlight the next generation artistry of trumpeter Brandon Woody, D.C.’s own bassist-bandleader Ben Williams, Howard University Afro Blue alum vocalist Ekep Nkwelle, trumpeter Kenny Rittenhouse, pianist and Juilliard grad José André and more.

Cohen and pianist Janelle Gill will serve as 2026 Artists in Residence, leading performances and educational initiatives throughout the year. Gill, an alum of D.C.’s Duke Ellington School for the Arts, reflects the festival’s ongoing investment in cultivating D.C.-rooted excellence.

The 2026 DC JazzFest unfolds during a historic milestone year as Washington, D.C., commemorates DC250 and the United States marks America250, the nation’s 250th anniversary. As America’s original musical art form, jazz offers a powerful lens through which to reflect on that 250-year story. DC JazzFest serves as a cultural anchor that reinforces Washington, D.C.’s standing as both a civic center and an international jazz capital.

“We are proud to present a lineup that bridges generations and continents,” said Sunny Sumter, president and CEO of DC Jazz Festival. “During DC250 and America250, jazz reminds us that America’s story is both local and global. Washington is a meeting place for the world, and through this music, we welcome that world home.”

The full 2026 DC JazzFest schedule and additional programming will be announced later this spring.

Tickets are on sale now at dcjazzfest.org/tickets.

For more information on America’s 250th celebration in Washington, D.C., visit DC250.us. DB