Melbourne International Jazz Festival

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Melbourne International Jazz Festival

Australia’s leading platform for the presentation of jazz and improvised music.
16—25 October 2026. Materials sent via Facebook will not be considered.

Please note, the Melbourne International Jazz Festival is a curated event and does not have an open registration process. Visit http://melbournejazz.com/get-involved/artist-enquiries for more information.

17/06/2026

“Live music and the wonders of human creativity are profoundly connecting. Being part of the entire audience sharing a standing ovation alongside my son […] will be one of my favourite moments ever!”— 2025 audience survey respondent.

Moments like these are exactly what the Melbourne International Jazz Festival exists to create — moments of connection, discovery and shared experience that stay with people long after the music ends.

With EOFY fast approaching, your tax-deductible donation helps make more moments like this possible in 2026 and beyond.

Donate via our website – melbournejazz.com

📸 Duncographic

10/06/2026

Brooklyn-born surrealist blues poet aja monet makes her Melbourne debut at Max Watt's House of Music this October.

With her outstanding US-based trio, monet will present her acclaimed new release ‘the color of rain’ — co-produced with the incomparable Meshell Ndegeocello and Justin Brown, and featuring Brandee Younger, Ganavya, Mereba and more.

Clash Magazine calls the album "therapeutic, affirming, and eye-opening poetry with wonderfully curated musical backing."

Be in the room and experience it live. Tickets available here - https://www.melbournejazz.com/events/aja-monet/

21/05/2026

TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE FOR THESE FIVE PHENOMENAL SHOWS

This October, witness legendary jazz vocalist, Dee Dee Bridgewater, genre-defying pianist, Tigran Hamasyan, The Bad Plus on their farewell tour, surrealist blues poet aja monet accompanied by her US-based trio and Kris Davis, DownBeat Pianist of the Year: 2020, 2022 and 2025.

Head to our website now to secure your tickets — https://www.melbournejazz.com/program/

19/05/2026

ANNOUNCING OUR FIRST FIVE SHOWS OF 2026

DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER, TIGRAN HAMASYAN, THE BAD PLUS, AJA MONET & KRIS DAVIS TRIO

Tickets go on sale in two days — Thursday 21 June, 11am.

Be ready to secure the best seats at melbournejazz.com.

Three-time GRAMMY and Tony Award-winner Dee Dee Bridgewaterr, is “one of American jazz’s foremost voices” (The Guardian), known for her inventive reworkings of jazz repertoire.

Armenia's Tigran Hamasyan crosses genre boundaries from jazz to prog rock with rare ease and is widely regarded as one of the most remarkable pianists/composers of his generation — "You’ll hear nothing else like this” (NPR).

A seminal force in 21st century jazz, The Bad Plus make their final Australian appearance. For more than two decades, they have proven themselves to be the ultimate originals, “pushing the boundaries of what jazz music could and should be” — Bass Magazine.

Brooklyn-born surrealist blues poet makes her Melbourne debut, accompanied by her outstanding US-based trio.

DownBeat Pianist of the Year (2020, 2022, 2025) Kris Davis stands at the forefront of New York’s contemporary jazz scene, described by The New York Times as a beacon for “deciding where to hear jazz on a given night.”

18/05/2026

Last chance to apply for our First Nations Artist Residency program! Apply via the link below before applications close at 6PM AEST Tuesday 19 May for the opportunity to receive:

— A $7,500 commission fee from MIJF to develop a new work
— A performance outcome at Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2027, including a separate performance fee
— A $7,500 professional and artistic development bursary from the Australian Art Orchestra
— Mentoring and consultation with Songlines Aboriginal Music Corporationmusic (Uncle Rob Bundle)

https://www.melbournejazz.com/industry/first-nations-artist-residency/

📸Duncographic

14/05/2026

We are excited to share that the Melbourne International Jazz Festival will make its Chinese premiere tonight, presenting Chinese-Australian guzheng artist Mindy Meng Wang alongside Australian jazz pianist Paul Grabowsky AO.

Following its presentation at the 2023 Melbourne International Jazz Festival, and its international tour as part of our 2024 Australian Jazz Showcase at the London Jazz Festival, we are thrilled to be part of the evolution of this stunning collaboration in Chengdu — coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the sister-state relationship between Victoria and Sichuan.

We are very grateful for the support of the Australian Consulate-General in Chengdu and their broader commitment to promoting cultural exchange between Australia and China.

13/05/2026

Make live jazz thrive this EOFY.

Something we hear time and time again from our audiences, artists and supporters is the unique, connecting power of live music. It brings strangers together, gives artists space to take risks and creates moments that can’t be replayed or replicated.

At the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, this is at the heart of everything we do. Each year, we bring artists and audiences together for a ten day celebration of global music that is bold, adventurous and entirely human — made possible by the generosity of our supporters.

This End of Financial Year, we’re inviting our community to help us make these moments possible.

Every gift, big or small, makes a meaningful difference. Make a tax-deductible donation before 30 June to help keep live jazz alive.

Donate: https://www.melbournejazz.com/support/donate/

📸Images by Duncographic and Will Hamilton-Coates Photography

30/04/2026

Happy International Jazz Day! 🎷✨

Today we celebrate jazz and its unique ability to bring people together across all corners of the globe. We’re sharing a few joyful moments from our 2025 festival — where live jazz sparked connection in powerful and unexpected ways.

Explore more highlights via the link below and keep your eyes peeled for an exciting program announcement coming soon…

https://www.melbournejazz.com/festival-info/2025-highlights/

📸 Images by Duncographic and Will Hamilton-Coates Photography

20/04/2026

Applications are now open for Melbourne International Jazz Festival's First Nations Artist Residency program — presented in partnership with the Australian Art Orchestra and Songlines Aboriginal Music Corporation.

The successful candidate will present a commissioned performance at the 2027 Melbourne International Jazz Festival and will receive fees to develop and present the work, along with a professional and artistic development budget, producing and mentoring support, networking opportunities and more.

Interested, or know someone who might be? Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander musicians currently residing in Australia are invited to apply by 6pm Tuesday 19 May.

Learn more and apply via the link here:
https://www.melbournejazz.com/industry/first-nations-artist-residency/

📸24/25 program leader Adam Manning performing his commissioned work at the 2025 festival. Photo by Will Hamilton-Coates Photography.

30/03/2026

A huge thank you to our friends at ABC Jazz for sharing four weeks of unforgettable 2025 festival highlights, culminating in Saturday's broadcast of Gregory Porter's standout performance.

"Porter's concert revealed an artist at the peak of his creative powers[...] His luxuriant baritone and effortless projection lent his delivery a velvety sheen, but the suave demeanour never came at the expense of emotional authenticity." - The Age

If you missed hearing Gregory Porter's incredible concert over the weekend, you can still experience it on demand here: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/jazztrack-live

📸Duncographic

Address

Studio 4, 5 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne
Melbourne, VIC
3051

Telephone

+61390011388

Website

http://www.melbournejazz.com/

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