Unity Jazz Festival returns to Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) on Jan. 8–9, 2026, showcasing an exciting lineup of more than 20 acclaimed acts and emerging artists across five stages.
New this year: All-Access Passes offer an exclusive concert experience with 2026 Unity Jazz Festival headliner, Trinidadian soca sensation Kes, on January 8 (Rose Theater) and January 9 (The Appel Room). Making their Jazz at Lincoln Center debut, Kes will present the band’s first-ever stripped-down performances—two intimate sets featuring reimagined arrangements of their music and special guest collaborations, including acclaimed Trinidadian trumpeter Etienne Charles.
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, also known as The House of Swing, will be abuzz at the 2026 Unity Jazz Festival with performances celebrating the legacy of legendary Eddie Palmieri, along with a first time JALC performances by DJ Logic, and sets featuring Tomeka Reid, Veronica Swift, Erena Terakubo, Gabriel Chakarji, Rajna Swaminathan. Unity Festival proudly presents the first Jazz Legacies Fellowship Honors All-Star Concert, spotlighting over 17 masters of the music: Valerie Capers, Amina Claudine Myers, George Coleman, Akua Dixon, Tom Harrell, Billy Hart, Bertha Hope, Roger Humphries, Carmen Lundy, Roscoe Mitchell, Johnny O’Neal, Shannon Powell, Julian Priester, Herlin Riley, Michele Rosewoman, Dom Slavador and Reggie Workman.
All-Access Passes include admission to all Unity Jazz Festival performances plus Kes’ headlining concerts, with guaranteed entry and assigned seating.
The Nightly Festival Pass (excludes Kes concert) offers its own world of discovery, providing access to every performance throughout The House of Swing—excluding Kes—featuring the Festival’s full slate of artists.
2026 UNITY JAZZ FESTIVAL LINEUP:
Kes
Solomon Hicks
Jazz Legacies Fellowship Honors Concert 2026
Eddie Palmieri Experience: A Musical Retrospective
Tomeka Reid Septet: In Tribute to Ellington
Veronica Swift
Theme for Akiko: Organ Jam Celebrating Akiko Tsuruga
Kate Kortum
Hometown Heroes: Leroy Jones Quartet with Herlin Riley, Tyler Bullock, and Russell Hall
Tivon Pennicott and Friends
Camila Cortina Trio
William Hill III Trio
Rajna Swaminathan Duo
Andre White Trio
Samir LanGus
Veronica Leahy & Emmanuel Michael
*A detailed performance schedule for the 2026 Unity Jazz Festival is scheduled to be announced at a later date
UNITY JAZZ FESTIVAL TICKETING INFORMATION:
All-Access Pass: Unity Jazz Festival + Kes
Includes admission to all Unity Jazz Festival performances plus the Kes headlining performance on each evening.
Thursday, January 8 (Rose Theater)
Orch. $175.00 | Mezz. $150.00 | Balc. $125.00
Friday, January 9 (The Appel Room)
Orch. $150.00 | Mezz. $125.00
Nightly Festival Pass (Excluding Kes concert)
Provides entry to all Unity Jazz Festival performances excluding entry to the Kes headlining performance.
Thursday, January 8: $75.00
Friday, January 9: $75.00
*Please note that a $5.00 Jazz at Lincoln Center Facility Fee applies to all ticket purchases. A $7 handling fee also applies when purchasing tickets from CenterCharge or when purchasing tickets online via jazz.org.*
Unity Jazz Festival tickets can be purchased through jazz.org 24 hours a day or through CenterCharge at 212-721-6500, open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office, located on Broadway at 60th Street, Ground Floor.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office hours are:
Tuesday-Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Monday: Closed
For more than three decades, Jazz at Lincoln Center has been a pillar of artistic expression, uniting musicians, fans, students, and educators across cultures and perspectives. Unity Jazz Festival invites audiences to experience a carefully curated program that fosters creative exchange and celebrates the dynamic future of jazz.
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 38th season, Mother Africa, delves into the creative spirit that unites African and American musical traditions, and runs through June 20, 2026. The organization’s 2025-26 season includes 19 unique weekends of Jazz at Lincoln Center concerts in the 1233-seat Rose Theater, nine concerts in the 467-seat Appel Room, and more than 350 nights of music at Dizzy’s Club, in addition to webcast performances and in-person and virtual education programs. The 2025-26 season also features tour dates worldwide by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, an ensemble of 15 virtuoso instrumentalists, unique soloists, composers, arrangers, and educators whose mandate is to coalesce and animate an unprecedented variety of styles and genres, in collaboration with noted guest artists and appearances by major figures in jazz and its related genres.