P700 / / What's On
Vilnius Jazz 2026: programme, venues and dates (14–19 October)
The 39th Vilnius Jazz festival runs 14–19 October. Every concert, talk and film, with venues and times.
Vilnius Jazz 2026, the 39th edition of the festival, runs from 14 to 19 October. The main concerts are at the Vilnius Old Theatre (J. Basanavičiaus g. 13) every evening at 19:00, with late-night sets at PERONAS, afternoon talks at the MO Museum and two warm-up films at Skalvija the weekend before. Tickets are sold through bilietai.lt; the programme does not list any of the concerts as free.
Vilnius Jazz is not the smooth-dinner kind of jazz festival. It has a long habit of booking free improvisation, avant-garde and whatever the edges of the genre are doing that year. This year's line-up leans towards Africa, Portugal's Clean Feed label and big, loud ensembles.
Vilnius Jazz 2026 programme, day by day
All times are Vilnius time, as published on the festival's programme page.
Before the festival: films at Skalvija (A. Goštauto g. 2)
- Mon 12 October, 20:30: Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat (Belgium, Netherlands, France).
- Tue 13 October, 19:40: Ronnie's: Ronnie Scott and His World Famous Jazz Club (UK).
Wed 14 October
- 19:00, Old Theatre: Hugo Carvalhais Oblong Emission (Portugal–Lithuania), Dainius Pulauskas Group (Lithuania).
Thu 15 October
- 17:00, MO Museum (Pylimo g. 17): talk by Pedro Costa, "Clean Feed: Wrong but Strong 2001–2026" (Portugal).
- 19:00, Old Theatre: Claude Tchamitchian: In Spirit (France), Garfo (Portugal), T. Kutavičius – K. Jušinskas – K. Gikas – A. Gotesman (Lithuania).
- 23:00, PERONAS (Geležinkelio g. 6): Vilnius Jazz Night Stage with Lithuanian ensembles.
Fri 16 October
- 17:00, MO Museum: Kasparas Pocius, "In Search of the Black Atlantis: Jazz, Africa, and the Process of Decolonization".
- 19:00, Old Theatre: Matchume Zango (Mozambique), São Paulo Underground (USA–Brazil).
- 23:00, PERONAS: Night Stage.
Sat 17 October
- 17:00, MO Museum: Matchume Zango, "Mozambique Community Sounds and Social Interaction".
- 19:00, Old Theatre: Ward no.4 (Lithuania), Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra (USA).
- 23:00, PERONAS: Night Stage.
Sun 18 October
- 15:00, Old Theatre: Vilnius Jazz Young Power: Ovalas, Aironas Genutis Quartet, The Moving, Ofisas and Moose tick ensemble (all Lithuania).
- 19:00, Old Theatre: Andreas Røysum Ensemble & Marvin Tate (Norway–USA).
Mon 19 October
- 19:00, Old Theatre: Nduduzo Makhathini (South Africa).
There is also a photo exhibition, Sigitas Kondratas: Visual Improvisations; check the festival site for where and when it is open.
If you only go to one or two nights
No reviews from us, just how the week is built, so you can choose:
- Friday 16th is the Africa and Brazil night. Matchume Zango plays percussion and timbila, the Mozambican xylophone, and gives a talk the next afternoon; São Paulo Underground is Rob Mazurek's long-running project with Brazilian musicians.
- Saturday 17th is the big-band night: Mazurek again, this time with the Exploding Star Orchestra, plus a Lithuanian opener. Then PERONAS for the night stage.
- Sunday 18th, 15:00 is Young Power: five young Lithuanian groups in one afternoon. The cheapest way to hear where the local scene is going.
- Monday 19th is a single headliner, South African pianist Nduduzo Makhathini, as a close to the week.
- The MO Museum talks at 17:00 are a good warm-up before the 19:00 concerts; the two venues are about a 15-minute walk apart.
Practical notes
- Tickets: bilietai.lt, linked from the festival site. Buy the weekend nights early.
- Late nights: the PERONAS night stage starts at 23:00 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, next to the train station.
- Weather: it is mid-October in Vilnius. Bring a layer for the walk between venues.
Bringing a band, or want your own after-show?
If you are playing in Vilnius that week and need a place to rehearse, crash for a night or have a private after-party, ZOLAK can be booked for a private event: a loft for up to 50 people in the former ELFA factory at Vytenio g. 50D, with a sound system, a kitchen and a sauna.