The Festival International de Jazz de Montreal has revealed the final additions to its 2026 lineup, and the announcements land with real force. Kamasi Washington returns to the TD Stage following his landmark 2022 performance, cementing what will be one of the most anticipated sets of the entire festival. KELS, an internationally buzzed singer-songwriter known for her powerful old-school vocals, makes her FIJM debut on the Rogers Stage, joined by experimental bassist MonoNeon, famously one of the last musicians to collaborate with Prince, returning to the festival for the first time since 2022.
The innovatively brilliant duo DOMi and JD Beck also appear on the Rogers Stage, their concert moved outdoors to accommodate demand. Local talent gets its moment at Club Montreal Loto-Quebec with Juno-nominated drummer Salin, whose music weaves northern Thai sounds with West African psychedelic rhythms, alongside Ping Pong Go, the new project from pianist Vincent Gagnon and drummer P-E Beaudoin.
The indoor concert lineup adds compelling opening acts. Franco-Gabonese singer-songwriter Anaïs Cardot, considered one of the rising stars of French jazz, opens for Diana Krall at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier. Cellist and composer Lucinda Chua opens for St. Vincent at the same venue.
The Academie programming delivers the festival’s most headline-worthy announcement. In a world exclusive, the audience will hear an early listen of tracks from a new album of previously unreleased John Coltrane recordings from the early 1960s, presented alongside Ken Druker of Verve Records. Titled ‘The Tiberi Tapes: A Preview of the Mythic Recordings’ and scheduled for September release, this is the kind of event that belongs on every serious jazz listener’s calendar. The Academie also features legendary producer, DJ, and rapper The Alchemist and a masterclass from harpist Brandee Younger showcasing her revolutionary approach to the instrument in modern jazz.
Late nights stay active through the AFTER JAZZ series running 11pm to 3am, with the PHONO pop-up bar featuring DJ sets curated with Ferias and Music Is My Sanctuary, plus sessions at Le Balcon covering jazz, rock, hip-hop, R&B, and soul.