News
Cologne Jazzweek 2026
Cologne Jazzweek 2026: Urban spaces, European present, international trendsetters, and global perspectives.
From September 5 to 11, 2026, Cologne Jazzweek returns for its sixth edition, once again turning the entire city into a stage for international jazz. As an urban festival with reach far beyond the region, Cologne Jazzweek connects the local scene with the European present and international trends, translating social change and new global connections into an open musical program.
The city becomes the stage. Alongside established venues such as the Kölner Philharmonie and the Stadtgarten, the festival also activates new urban spaces: the Klosterkirche Heilig Kreuz, the SCHOKE piano house, and venues around Aachener Straße and Lindenstraße extend the city's acoustic reach.
This year's program centers on two internationally acclaimed musicians. US multi-instrumentalist Sam Gendel shapes the festival week in three settings, ranging from a solo concert to his duo with Sam Amidon and a trio with Ethan Braun and Ugnė Uma. Also joining as a Featured Artist is Russian pianist Olga Reznichenko, recently honored with the German Jazz Prize, who showcases the range of her work with the ensemble CRUTCHES, the Trio Parhuber, and solo programs.
Further highlights come from the vibrant scenes of Amsterdam and Los Angeles: guitarist Teis Semey and the group Pereseli, led by bassist and singer Fuensanta, bring fresh impulses from the Netherlands to Cologne. Unusual instrumentation also takes center stage — Anatole Muster presents the accordion in a trio setting at the club night in Ehrenfeld, while Kathrin Pechlof and Damian Dalla Torre offer an expanded sonic perspective on the harp. New programs also emerge with Luise Volkmann's genre-crossing ensemble "Folk Stories" and six concerts by the newly formed, pan-European musicians' collective KROM.
The festival week opens on Saturday, September 5, with an open-air program at the Stadtgarten and an opening night at Club FI, followed by a cultural policy conference on Sunday. On Monday, Avishai Cohen performs with his project Big Vicious at the Kölner Philharmonie, before large ensembles such as the Bundesjazzorchester and the New Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra take center stage on Tuesday. Wednesday invites audiences to various venues around the Belgian Quarter, while Thursday's "Ehrenfeldnacht" leads through clubs including Artheater, YUCA, Bumann & Sohn, and the LOFT Night. The week closes on Friday at the Deutschlandfunk Sendesaal, where new productions and premieres are presented in cooperation with NICA Artist Development.
The artistic direction is overseen by an internationally staffed curatorial board: Yousef Hilmy (USA/Egypt), Line Juul (Denmark), Alfred Vogel (Austria), Hermes Villena (Bolivia/Brazil/Germany), and Janning Trumann (Germany) bring together diverse aesthetic approaches into a multifaceted program. The work is further supported by partnerships with JEWLIF (Jewish Life in Europe) and NICA Artist Development.
The full program and tickets are available at jazzweek.de.
Line-up: Avishai Cohen, keiyaA, Sam Gendel, Olga Reznichenko, Sam Amidon, Kalia Vandever, Peter Evans, Anushka Chkheidze, Evan Parker, GEORGE, Kathrin Pechlof Trio, Anatole Muster, Henriette Eilertsen, New Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra & Lucy Woodward, Teis Semey, Peter Bernstein Quartet, Julia Sanjurjo, Fuensanta, DaughterDaughter, Bundesjazzorchester, Farhot, Daniel Erdmann, Zola Mennenöh, Luise Volkmann, Bonecrusher, Felix Hauptmann, and many more.
