Manchester’s longest-running music festival is back this Summer for 10 days

Jazz lovers rejoice – manchester jazz festival is back for its 31st edition in 2026.

Lighting up venues across the city, mjf2026 will see hundreds of northern, national and international jazzmusicians descend on Manchester, showcasing the genre’s leading lights alongside its most exciting emerging talent.

mjf was first staged in the summer of 1996, hosting nine bands in one venue over the course of a single day. Who could have known that this would mark the start of what is now Manchester’s longest running music festival, radiating across the city for 10 whole days each year.

And yet, for all it’s grown, mjf’s spirit remains the same, rooted in the joyful celebration and genuine support of the contemporary jazz world’s diverse and local artists.

Building on the success of the last few years, manchester jazz festival (mjf2026) begins with a spectacular FREE opening weekender at the vibrant neighbourhood: First Street  from 15 – 17 May.

There will be two event stages: Main Stage and the Ask Garden Stage, each celebrating the breadth and individuality of our home-grown scene and beyond: bands emerging through mjf’s artist development programmes alongside a host of northern success stories giving their homecoming performance at mjf (Lara Jones, Thanda Gumede).

The opening night shines a light on tomorrow’s talent, including a pop-up performance curated by mjf’s Youth Advisory Board, with family-friendly activities on Saturday morning and food and drink offers throughout the weekend.

New for this year, a series of programme partnerships (Manchester Folk Festival, Oldham Coliseum Theatre) will bring mjf artists to new audiences and new artists to mjf audiences.

You’ll see mjf spread across our usual range of venues and music nights: Matt & Phreds, RNCM, Forsyth Music Shop, The Stoller Hall, Low Four Studios, Stage & Radioand The Carlton Club. The festival closes with an extended weekend-long party at Band on the Wall, and an afternoon triple-bill at Aviva Studios, home of Factory International, that shines a light on three contrasting approaches to songwriting, against the backdrop of the special Women in Jazz Photography exhibition on display there throughout.

Featured in that triple bill will be Satnam Galsian, who’ll be presenting 2026’s mjf originals new work premiere, and whose music blends the rich tradition of Punjabi folk with contemporary, feminist storytelling.

It’s a compelling piece that we’ve co-commissioned with Oldham Coliseum, Wigan Old Courts and Khushi Festival.

The mjf piano trail competition is also making a comeback! manchester jazz festival and Forsyth Music Shop have joined forces once again for themjf2026 piano trail competition: to find Manchester’s hidden talents across a trail of at least 18 street pianos at locations across Manchester city centre and beyond, including Rochdale, Trafford, Salford, Oldham, Ashton-under-Lyne, and Wigan.

From 29 March (which happens to be World Piano Day!) to 31 May, the mjf2026 piano trail competition encourages everyone to get involved and share their creativity and just have fun! For those who want to take part, there’s a chance to enter a competition to win a Yamaha electric piano and many more prizes, and there will be live performances at some of the pianos on the trail, more information to be announced soon.

Ticket prices for the festival start from £7.50 and there’s plenty of free-to-access music and activities taking place at locations across the city centre, including the entire opening weekender: mjf @ First Street, and gigs in the Copper Bar at Band on the Wall and at Matt & Phreds.