In May 2026, we will return to Park Den Brandt in Antwerp. Following last year's successful relaunch, we are continuing to build a new chapter for Jazz Middelheim. The 2025 edition was our first under new management and immediately felt like a reconnection with what the festival has always stood for: openness, curiosity, and space for music that lives. Since 1969, Jazz Middelheim has been a fixture in the Belgian and international jazz landscape, and we carry that history with us as we continue to look ahead.

From May 23 to 25, 2026, during the extended Pentecost weekend, we will once again take three days to enjoy music in the park. Today, we are sharing the first names for this edition. At the same time, the presale will also start. Regular ticket sales will open on Thursday at 12:00 p.m.

With these first artists, we immediately demonstrate the broad musical horizon that we continue to explore. Flea & The Honora Band showcases a different, more spiritual side of the bassist known to many from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, in a free and intense jazz project carried by collective improvisation. Cécile McLorin Salvant brings her unique voice and layered interpretations, in which tradition and imagination effortlessly find each other. With the Chris Potter Trio, we welcome one of the most influential saxophonists of his generation, in a line-up that leaves room for nuance and interaction. Collier plays Coltrane offers a contemporary and energetic dialogue with the work and spirit of John Coltrane, driven by spirituality and collective power. And Marcos Valle, who had to cancel his visit last year, will be coming this time, with a timeless oeuvre in which Brazilian music, jazz, funk, and pop have been converging for decades.

Together, these names give a first glimpse into our artistic direction for 2026: a festival where the roots of jazz remain tangible, but where there is also room for experimentation, exchange, and new voices that continue to break new ground in the genre. We will announce the full line-up in the coming weeks.

The presale for Jazz Middelheim 2026 started today for subscribers and previous visitors. Regular ticket sales open Thursday at 12:00 noon via our official channels. We will see each other from May 23 to 25, 2026 in Park Den Brandt, a place that has been inextricably linked to Jazz Middelheim for decades.