Brussels Jazz Festival 2026
The Brussels Jazz Festival celebrates its eleventh edition at Flagey from 15 to 24 January 2026.
Over the past decade, it has firmly established itself as one of Belgium’s foremost jazz festivals, captivating both devoted and curious listeners with a programme that favours quality over quantity.
True to tradition, the listening experience remains at its core. Belgian-Tunisian pianist Wajdi Riahi is this year’s artist-in-residence and will present three new creations.
The festival kicks off in grand style on 15 January, with Jakob Bro unveiling new work as part of Jazz Meets Symphonic. In the days that follow, audiences can look forward to major names and premieres by Isaiah Collier, corto.alto, Milena Casado, Jazzbois, Mu Quintet and more, along with a festive label weekend dedicated to International Anthem, featuring Tortoise, Tom Skinner and others.
BJF: quality over quantity
Over ten days, the Brussels Jazz Festival celebrates the genre in all its forms — from intimate solos to large-scale symphonic projects.
This eleventh edition presents a richly varied international line-up of 25 concerts and two DJ sets. ‘In addition to Belgian talents such as Helena Casella and Nabou Claerhout, we’re presenting some of the finest artists from across the European jazz scene — from Hungary, Denmark, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom — alongside several American jazz greats,’ says Maarten Van Rousselt, festival programmer. ‘The programme ventures off the beaten track and is carefully designed so that concerts never overlap. This way, visitors can experience every performance from the first note to the last. We want the audience to immerse themselves in the music — free from stress or FOMO. ‘ In addition, the Brussels Jazz Festival remains deeply committed to new creation, offering promising artists the resources and space to develop new work.
The artistin-residence plays a central role in this, backed by a year of artistic, logistical and promotional support from Flagey to bring three new projects to life. Finally, the festival also presents several large-scale co-productions. In this way, the festival opens in spectacular fashion with Jakob Bro and the Brussels Philharmonic, who lead the seventh edition of Jazz Meets Symphonic — a collaboration between Flagey, De Bijloke and Brussels Philharmonic. For this world premiere, the Danish guitarist is creating new work for his trio with tenor saxophonist Mark Turner and Japanese percussionist Midori Takada, joined by the Brussels Philharmonic and the Vlaams Radiokoor. The concert will be broadcast live on Klara.
Artist-in-residence
Tunisian-Brussels pianist Wajdi Riahi (b. 1993) settled in the capital eight years ago and has since captivated audiences with his warm tone and poetic touch. As artist-in-residence, he will present three creations during the festival, each revealing a different facet of his musical world. On 16 January, Wajdi Riahi strikes the first note with an international all-star quartet, joined by some of today’s most expressive musicians: Seamus Blake, Robert Jukič and Kweku Sumbry. Together they perform a new repertoire that Riahi composed especially for this line-up.
On 18 January, Riahi performs solo. Here, Riahi weaves his Tunisian roots and Brussels influences into a deeply personal musical narrative. After an initial try-out at Bozar, the project will have its full premiere during the Brussels Jazz Festival.
On 21 January, the spotlight shifts to Brass & Bow, an ambitious ensemble in which Riahi expands his regular trio with four cellists and trumpeter Jean-Paul Estiévenart, exploring the common ground between jazz, chamber music and improvisation.
Brussels hosts the cream of the international jazz scene Flagey once again welcomes an impressive mix of established names, new sounds and unique Belgian premieres.
On 16 January, Belgian-Brazilian singer Helena Casella performs, effortlessly blending neo-soul, R&B and jazz with her warm, full-bodied voice. The promising Spanish trumpeter Milena Casado makes her Belgian debut during the festival, as does the Leeds-based Mu Quintet, bringing fresh, melodic jazz.
The Danish trio Smag På Dig Selv pushes the boundaries of the genre with a boisterous mix of punk jazz, double sax and throat singing. The United States is also strongly represented in this edition.
Audiences can look forward to young saxophonist Isaiah Collier — straight from Chicago and widely hailed as ‘the next big thing in jazz’ — performing at the Brussels Jazz Festival in his only Belgian concert this spring.
Highlight to note Belgian trombonist Nabou Claerhout, artist-in-residence in 2023, sets the festival in motion on 15 January with a festive release concert for her long-awaited new album.
17 January promises to be an unforgettable evening for the young jazz adventurer, featuring three groundbreaking acts, each leaving their distinctive mark on contemporary jazz.
The Hungarian band Àbáse delivers a vibrant mix of nu-jazz, afrobeat and electronic influences. From the United Kingdom comes corto.alto, the brainchild of trombonist and producer Liam Shortall, who is putting Scotland’s new jazz scene on the world map with his raw, funk-driven sound.
The evening concludes with Immortal Onion from Poland, a trio that fuses virtuosic jazz and electronic beats into a hypnotic, cinematic set. This edition promises plenty of groove, experimentation and European cross-pollination. The closing weekend on 23 and 24 January will be a celebration in itself, as both the Brussels Jazz Festival and the influential label International Anthem mark their eleventh anniversaries with an exclusive series of concerts — the icing on the cake. Artists including Tom Skinner, Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti & Frank Rosaly, Ruth Goller (Skylla) and Tortoise will honour the label that continues to define the sound and spirit of contemporary jazz. ‘Labels are essential players in the musical ecosystem,’ Van Rousselt emphasises. ‘With this festive label weekend, Flagey wants to celebrate their role as tastemakers, gatekeepers and discoverers of new voices. It will be a weekend in which the creative spirit of Chicago’s avant-garde flows through Flagey.’
Festive atmosphere and free DJ sets In addition to the concerts, free DJ sets will keep audiences dancing into the early hours. DJ InSein Radio will host the opening night, while DJ Mab’ish — known from the Rise & Shine evenings in Brussels — will provide the soundtrack for the festival’s grand finale.
Separate tickets are available for each concert, but for those who don’t want to miss a thing, a festival pass or evening pass offers the perfect alternative. More information and tickets: flagey.be/brusselsjazzfestival