JAZZ HOUSE KiDS Presents the 17th Annual

MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL

Downtown Jamboree on August 15

The 2026 MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL celebrates the United States semiquincentennial and the centennials of jazz legends Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Their enduring influence will be honored through special tribute performances, festival artwork by visual artist Andres Chaparro, and performances by the JAZZ HOUSE Collective, JAZZ HOUSE All Stars, and JAZZ HOUSE Emerging Talent, featuring more than 150 students from our JAZZ HOUSE SUMMER WORKSHOP and alumni.

Artistic Director Christian McBride has curated a lineup celebrating the great American jazz cities that shaped our nation's musical legacy. Performances include Christian McBride Big Band featuring Bilal (Philadelphia), Patrice Rushen (Los Angeles), Dianne Reeves (Detroit), and Spanish Harlem Orchestra (New York City).

New Orleans takes center stage with the Take Me to the River New Orleans All-Stars, featuring Cyril Neville, Omari Neville, Ian Neville, and Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr. Earlier that week, Take Me to the River: New Orleans will be screened in partnership with Montclair Film, followed by a live Q&A with the artists and producer Martin Shore.

This year, the Smithsonian Institution selected the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL as a collaborating festival for "Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals," one of a select group of festivals commemorating the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding. Festivalgoers will have the opportunity to participate in We Hold These Truths, a mobile storytelling project that invites visitors to share personal reflections on community, culture, history, and what America's 250th anniversary means to them. These stories will become part of the Smithsonian's Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, preserving local voices as part of our nation's shared story. This project received funding from the Smithsonian's "Our Shared Future: 250," a Smithsonian-wide initiative supported by private philanthropy and created to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary and advance the Smithsonian vision for the next 250 years.

New this year, attendees can support the summer tradition they know and love with a 2026 MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL JAM PASS. As the event has grown to become the largest jazz festival in the region, fans will be required to register for a JAM PASS to attend the Downtown Jamboree at Lackawanna Plaza. In keeping with the JAZZ HOUSE's commitment to make the festival accessible to all, a “Pay What You Wish” option is available, and everyone who registers for a JAM PASS will be entered for a chance to win VIP tent access for two on the day of the festival, plus express entry in the new JAM PASS lane. As production costs rise, your support helps sustain the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL for years to come. More information and JAM PASS registration can be found at www.montclairjazzfestival.org 

AUGUST 15 DOWNTOWN JAMBOREE ARTISTS

at LACKAWANNA PLAZA

The day kicks off with The Gotham Kings as they lead the procession from Church Street down Bloomfield Avenue to Lackawanna Plaza

MAIN STAGE 12PM - 8PM:

12PM: Spanish Harlem Orchestra (honoring New York City)

1:45PM: Dianne Reeves (honoring Detroit)

3:25PM: Take Me to the River New Orleans All Stars featuring Cyril Neville (honoring New Orleans) underwritten by the Gia Maione Prima Foundation

5PM: Patrice Rushen (honoring Los Angeles)

6:50PM: Christian McBride Big Band w/ Bilal (honoring Philadelphia)

JAZZ HOUSE STAGE 12PM - 8PM:

JAZZ HOUSE COLLECTIVE (honoring Miles Davis + John Coltrane)

JAZZ HOUSE Emerging Talent studying at the JAZZ HOUSE Summer Workshop

Joel Ross’ Good Vibes

BLOCK PARTY

(presented by United Airlines [official airline]) 8PM - 10PM:

With DJ Prince Hakim

Together with their sponsors including United Airlines, National Endowment for the Arts, Gia Maione Prima Foundation, New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism, Xfinity, Optimum, and more, MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL welcomes all who want to celebrate America's rich history of jazz, youth development and community building.

For more information on how to get involved as a volunteer, sponsor, vendor and

business or individual supporter, visit the website www.montclairjazzfestival.org and download the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL App in the Google or Apple store.