has been catering to all – and we really do mean – tastes in jazz since 1993. And the 2026 edition is set to be as sprawling as ever. The event, which has been sponsored by EFG since 2013, is taking place at 60 venues across the capital on November 13-22 and will boast over 300 performances.

Three performances, dozens of venues, over a week’s worth of events… EFG London Jazz Festival can understandably feel a bit daunting to outsiders. But that’s no reason to shy away. There’s something for every sort of jazz fan here, as well as plenty that’ll appeal to total newbies.

Wondering who’ll get your foot tapping and fingers clicking at EFG London Jazz Festival 2026? Here are the five performances we’re most excited about.

When is EFG London Jazz Festival 2026?

The 10-day event is taking place on .

The best performances at EFG London Jazz Festival 2026

Haruki Murakami’s Jazz at Peter Cat: a Japanese Jazz Night

Haruki Murakami’s love for jazz is extraordinarily well-documented, from his gargantuan record collection to the appearance of jazz musicians and tunes in his books. But did you know that the immensely popular Japanese author once had a jazz bar? Between 1974 and 1981 Murakami and his wife ran a jazz café in Tokyo named Peter Cat, which was named after his pet. Peter Cat will be brought to life at this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival, with the event promising an ‘immersive reimagining’ at the Barbican. Performing are pianist Junko Onishi, saxophonist Sachi Hayasaka (solo and as part of trio TReS) and Yoshio Suzuki’s The Blend (though Suzuki himself sadly passed away in September – Kosuke Mine, Keisuke Nakamura, Hakuei Kim and Tamaya Honda will play).

Saturday November 21 and Sunday November 22.

Barbican.

From £34 on Barbican.

Branford Marsalis & Dianne Reeves Celebrate John Coltrane

Did you really think that the EFG London Jazz Festival would let John Coltrane’s centennial pass unnoticed? September 2026 marked 100 years since the birth of the sax titan; the festival is celebrating the occasion with a performance from two other legends in their own right: saxophonist Branford Marsalis (in his quartet) and vocalist Dianne Reeves. At the brand-new British Airways ARC Marsalis and Reeves will focus on Coltrane’s 1963 collaboration with singer Johnny Hartman, to which they recently released an album-length tribute called Dedicated to You.

Saturday November 21.

British Airways ARC.

From £80.50 on ARC.

Fatoumata Diawara + Thanda Choir

In the past 15 or so years, few artists have brought West African music to global audiences quite like Fatoumata Diawara. Combining Malian musical traditions with Western notions of pop, electronica and dance, Diawara almost always sings in her mother tongue Bambara. Albums like and have racked up millions (if not tens of millions) of listens, while even more fans have heard her voice in collaborations with pop titans like Disclosure, Gorillaz and Angie Stone. She’ll play Roundhouse during EFG London Jazz Festival, following a show by Cape Town’s 50-plus-member Thanda Choir.

Wednesday November 18.

Roundhouse.

From £33 on Roundhouse.

Inverness-born, Glasgow-based saxophonist/composer Matt Carmichael is one of the fastest-rising voices in British jazz, renowned for blending jazz with folk and orchestral music. Carmichael’s 2021 debut Where Will the River Flow put him on jazz-heads’ radar, but it’s his fourth and most recent record Held in the Dark – released just last month – that’ll be getting its London premiere during EFG London Jazz Festival. His performance at Camden’s Cecil Sharp House is one of only three shows in which Carmichael will perform Held in the Dark with a full septet.

Tuesday November 17.

Cecil Sharp House.

From £26 on DICE.

This one’s a testament to just how diverse EFG London Jazz Festival’s curation so often is. Estonian singer and violinist Maarja Nuut will present a new work titled Liivast juukseid kammides [] at Guildhall’s Milton Court (next door to the Barbican). Inspired by the works of Estonian poet Eha Lättemäe, it’ll combine vocals and poetry with experimental electronics and field recordings. was created with British vocal collective Shards and Swiss drummer Nicolas Stocker, with both joining Nuut at Milton Court. Shards will also perform an opening set.

Tuesday November 17.

Milton Court.

From £24 on Barbican.

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