Your Complete Guide to the 2026 6th Taihu Jazz Festival
Dates:April 30–May 5
Theme:This year’s festival takes “Jazz Is Everything” as its theme.
Venue:National Centre for the Performing Arts, Taihu Stage Art Center
Highlights:Grammy-winning artists lead the lineup, joined by the best of Chinese jazz. Special activities include immersive VR, a jazz light show, conversations with masters, dance wellness and more.
Six festival days, nine stages, five activity zones, more than 330 artists from China and abroad, and over 200 performances and special events… From April 30 to May 5, this spring celebration of music, technology and style will come alive at the National Centre for the Performing Arts’ Taihu Stage Art Center.
Unprecedented Scale: Artists from 11 Countries
More than 330 jazz masters and rising artists from 11 countries and regions will gather in Beijing for over 200 performances and special events. The lineup includes a major roster led by Grammy winners and top jazz artists from China, bringing audiences a world-class jazz celebration.
Nine Stages for an Upgraded Immersive Experience
The festival expands from seven stages last year to nine this year, including:
- Taihu Theater — Main stage for large-scale performances
- Taihu Open-Air Theater — Outdoor music experience
- Container Stage — Creative industrial setting
- Instrument Interaction Stage — Audience participation
- Snowflake Stage — Special themed stage
- Stage Art Pier Stage — Waterfront performance space
- Stage Art Workshop Stage — Performances in a creative workshop
- Museum, Exhibition Area 2 — Where art and music meet
- Flower Sea Stage — Outdoor natural setting
Five distinctive event zones will host jazz in a range of styles. In spaces that blend an industrial look with stage-art design, audiences can enjoy a new kind of immersive jazz experience.
Young Artists: 169 Free Performances
Forty youth bands will perform in 169 free concerts, giving young musicians a stage to show their talent. These emerging jazz artists from across the country will bring a range of styles and reveal the music’s diversity and energy.
Special Activities: New Ways to Experience Jazz
- Immersive VR — Technology meets music
- Jazz Light Show — A feast for the eyes and ears
- Meet the Masters — Up-close conversations with Grammy-winning artists
- Film Screenings — Films inspired by jazz
- Robot Performances — New possibilities through technology
- Dance Wellness — A natural conversation between body and music
Featured Artists
This year’s festival welcomes world-class jazz artists, including:
- Steve Smith — “Drum God” and former resident artist at Lincoln Jazz Center Shanghai
- Ulysses Owen Jr. — Three-time Grammy-winning drummer and artist of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
- Walter Blanding — Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winner and jazz ambassador
These exceptional artists will perform alongside China’s jazz musicians on the Taihu stages, giving audiences an unforgettable experience.
Ticket Information
Early-bird offer:Buy a ticket to any Taihu Jazz Festival performance before midnight on April 15 and get 40% off the regular price.
Now in its sixth edition, Taihu Jazz Festival has become one of the most influential jazz events in Beijing and China. This year’s theme, “Jazz Is Everything,” breaks down the traditional boundaries of a music festival, bringing jazz together with technology, art and everyday life so more people can experience its distinctive appeal.
Source:Beijing Local Guide