The 2026 Jazz Spring Festival returns April 30–May 5. Come experience the energy and excitement of spring.
This year, the festival takes place at four venues: Shanghai West Bund Theatre, West Bund Dream Center, West Bund Riverside and 8 Hengshan Road. Over six days, 150 musicians will present more than 100 performances.
Since 2014, JZ Music’s Jazz Spring Festival has been a gathering place each spring. It now stands alongside the autumn JZ Festival Shanghai as one of China’s two signature jazz festivals. Last year, Jazz Spring brought 30 performances to 50,000 fans at Xuhui’s West Bund.
2026 is the China–Brazil Year of Culture. Jazz Spring will work closely with Brazil’s Ministry of Culture and the Consulate General of Brazil in Shanghai to welcome spring with music on the banks of the Huangpu River.
PART 1: Masters Hall
JZ SPRING
Scenes from previous Jazz Spring festivals (archive photo)
As the festival’s main indoor venue, Shanghai West Bund Theatre offers world-class acoustics. It captures every breath, every touch on a string and every turn of improvisation, bringing the subtle emotions within a melody directly to listeners. From April 30 to May 4, five special concerts spanning styles and borders will take place here.
On April 30, International Jazz Day, a national treasure of Brazilian music will give the world premiere of a concert marking his 50th anniversary. Hailed as a “master of melody” and a “songwriter’s songwriter,” he has been performed by stars including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Sting. At Jazz Spring, he will present a luminous selection from his 50-year career for the first time. It will be a gift to jazz fans around the world and one of the most romantic nights of the season. Who is he? Share your guess in the comments and follow the festival for more information.
On May 1, “harp wizard” Edmar Castañeda appears with his quartet. The Colombian harp master has transformed this ancient instrument, taking it beyond its graceful role in classical music and revealing a remarkable source of magic. His live performances are a thrilling fusion of technique and imagination, sure to spark your own.
On May 2, jazz-piano legend Kenny Barron takes the stage. Revered by pianists around the world and one of the most influential jazz pianists since the bebop era, he has been called “the most outstanding jazz pianist of our time” by The New York Times. His playing is as elegant as silk; lose yourself in a spring evening and discover what true elegance sounds like.
On May 3, “Six Strings, Infinite Worlds” brings six master guitarists together in tribute to the greats. Liu Yue, Zhang Xiongguan, Liang Ying, Xu Zhihan, Evgeny Pobozhiy and Ricardo Vogt—six leading jazz guitarists from China, Brazil and Russia—share a stage for the first time. In one night, hear the guitar’s many possibilities and enter the boundless world of jazz guitar.
On May 4, Spring Flight presents a special concert by The Crane, the “romantic prince of R&B.” A breakout R&B star in Chinese-language music, he won both Best New Artist and Best R&B Album at the 14th Golden Indie Music Awards, and received two nominations at the 34th Golden Melody Awards, for Best New Artist and Best Mandarin Male Singer. His deep, relaxed voice carries a gently intoxicating quality. Like an evening breeze in spring, it lifts the spirit of the city and draws listeners into a tender whirlpool, bringing the five-night theater journey to a warm close.
Five concerts, five colors: enhanced by world-class acoustics, they become the sounds of spring you can feel and experience.
Concert Details
Brazilian music master — special concert
Date and time: April 30, 7:30 p.m.
Venue: West Bund Theatre
Tickets: RMB 280–880
“Harp Wizard” Edmar Castañeda Quartet
Date and time: May 2, 7:30 p.m.
Venue: West Bund Theatre
Tickets: RMB 380–680
Jazz-piano legend Kenny Barron — special concert
Date and time: May 3, 7:30 p.m.
Venue: West Bund Theatre
Tickets: RMB 480–980
“Six Strings, Infinite Worlds” — guitar masters tribute concert
Date and time: May 4, 7:30 p.m.
Venue: West Bund Theatre
Tickets: RMB 280–680
Electronic music meets jazz
Date and time: May 5, 7:30 p.m.
Venue: West Bund Theatre
Tickets: RMB 380–780
PART 2: Outdoor Jazz Stages
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Scenes from previous Jazz Spring festivals (archive photo)
Leave the theater and let the music spread outdoors. From May 1 to 5, embrace spring in the open air.
At West Bund Dream Center, south of Shanghai West Bund Theatre, Brazilian rhythms meet the strength of Chinese jazz. Between sets, look out for silo pop-ups, a roaming band and the flower-surrounded Phoenix Nest pop-up. Jazz will bloom throughout the West Bund.
Farther north, West Bund Riverside, beside the theater, offers a century-spanning journey through jazz.
Following the history of jazz, the riverside becomes a moving museum of sound. Ride a vintage jazz tram and take in the route with a band playing onboard. The jazz bus stops at places with their own character: a picnic on the lawn, dancing beneath the lighthouse, a stage beneath the moonlight. Each stop brings you face to face with a different era.
At 8 Hengshan Road, home of JZ Club, a lively Brazilian town awaits. Vinyl, coffee, food, performances, dancing and masterclasses come together. No transatlantic flight needed: head to the tree-lined neighborhood for an authentic samba celebration and the irresistible Latin sounds of the town’s stage.
From neighborhood streets to the concert hall, jazz is moving because it belongs both onstage and in everyday life. Since its founding, Jazz Spring has been one of China’s few public-benefit music festivals, and this year is no exception. All outdoor performances are free, apart from the five theater concerts. Find the music on the lawn, in the plaza, along the river or around a corner you happen to turn.