Lithuania’s largest jazz festival Kaunas Jazz announces exciting news not only for Kaunas but also for other cities. In April, the famous American singer, soul music veteran Martha High, will perform a four-concert tour in Lithuania. Her performances will take place in Jurbarkas, Kaunas, Palanga, and Joniškis.
Back in the seventies, this singer’s talent was noticed and she was invited to perform together with the world’s most famous soul and funk musician – James Brown. She performed with him for 32 years, and today continues her solo career, full of impressive moments.

Lithuania’s largest jazz festival Kaunas Jazz announces exciting news not only for Kaunas but also for other cities. In April, the famous American singer, soul music veteran Martha High, will perform a four-concert tour in Lithuania. Her performances will take place in Jurbarkas, Kaunas, Palanga, and Joniškis.
Back in the seventies, this singer’s talent was noticed and she was invited to perform together with the world’s most famous soul and funk musician – James Brown. She performed with him for 32 years, and today continues her solo career, full of impressive moments.

The first festival notes to sound in Kaunas this year will be entrusted to a trio of well-known Lithuanian musicians. The concert, free and open to everyone, will symbolically mark the beginning of the Kaunas Jazz spring in the city where the festival debuted 35 years ago.
The trio performing at this concert has a shorter shared history. These musicians first appeared on stage together in 2017. Yet their collective and individual creative experience is far greater, and two of them had already performed together when the very first Kaunas Jazz posters were still being designed.

Lithuania’s largest jazz festival Kaunas Jazz announces exciting news not only for Kaunas but also for other cities. In April, the famous American singer, soul music veteran Martha High, will perform a four-concert tour in Lithuania. Her performances will take place in Jurbarkas, Kaunas, Palanga, and Joniškis.
Back in the seventies, this singer’s talent was noticed and she was invited to perform together with the world’s most famous soul and funk musician – James Brown. She performed with him for 32 years, and today continues her solo career, full of impressive moments.

Lithuania’s largest jazz festival Kaunas Jazz announces exciting news not only for Kaunas but also for other cities. In April, the famous American singer, soul music veteran Martha High, will perform a four-concert tour in Lithuania. Her performances will take place in Jurbarkas, Kaunas, Palanga, and Joniškis.
Back in the seventies, this singer’s talent was noticed and she was invited to perform together with the world’s most famous soul and funk musician – James Brown. She performed with him for 32 years, and today continues her solo career, full of impressive moments.

Lithuania’s largest jazz festival Kaunas Jazz announces exciting news not only for Kaunas but also for other cities. In April, the famous American singer, soul music veteran Martha High, will perform a four-concert tour in Lithuania. Her performances will take place in Jurbarkas, Kaunas, Palanga, and Joniškis.
Back in the seventies, this singer’s talent was noticed and she was invited to perform together with the world’s most famous soul and funk musician – James Brown. She performed with him for 32 years, and today continues her solo career, full of impressive moments.

From music to tarot cards: rapidly rising Belgian star Adja will perform at “Kaunas Jazz”.
This spring, the largest jazz festival in Lithuania, Kaunas Jazz, will take place for the 36th time, and it announces yet another intriguing news for music lovers. On April 23 in Kaunas, at Volfas Engelman Gallery, singer and music creator Adja, considered one of the most interesting and brightest rising stars on the Belgian music scene, will perform.

From music to tarot cards: rapidly rising Belgian star Adja will perform at “Kaunas Jazz”.
This spring, the largest jazz festival in Lithuania, Kaunas Jazz, will take place for the 36th time, and it announces yet another intriguing news for music lovers. On April 23 in Kaunas, at Volfas Engelman Gallery, singer and music creator Adja, considered one of the most interesting and brightest rising stars on the Belgian music scene, will perform.

This year marks 65 years since saxophonist Ornette Coleman and his friends recorded and published the album “Free Jazz” (1961), which opened a new, revolutionary style of jazz music – free jazz. This occasion is also marked by Giedrius Kuprevičius’ new 6-part suite “Free Bellman”, in which the music of the Kaunas carillon and a specially prepared phonogram (the recording also includes recordings by UAE-based percussionist Alec Koff) interpret the sound of that style in their own way.

We invite everyone to a live outdoor drawing event! The artworks created during the event will be exhibited on the “Kaunas Jazz” Facebook page during the last week of May. Winners announcement and awards: The winners will be selected together, and prizes will be awarded on June 1. Who is this event for? Recommended for children aged 2 to 12,

Author: Evita Gurčinskaitė, 14 y.o. We invite you to take part in a creative drawing contest! Submission period: April 1 – June 30, 2026. Drawings can be sent by post or delivered to the “Kaunas Jazz” office. Exhibition: All submitted works will be displayed on the “Kaunas Jazz” Facebook page from July 1 to July 10. Who can participate? Art-oriented

At “Kaunas Jazz” – the critically and musically acclaimed U.S. singer Lady Blackbird.
The largest jazz festival in Lithuania, Kaunas Jazz, announces its first star of the 2026 season. On April 24, at the National Kaunas Drama Theatre, American singer Lady Blackbird will perform, who in recent years has become a striking sensation on the jazz and broader music scene.

Kaunas Jazz 2026 Season Tickets Now on Sale!🎶

One of the most colorful, playful, and creative parts of the Kaunas Jazz festival is the Jazz Fashion Show, where clothing collections that shine with improvisation and surprises are presented each year by the fashion design graduates of Kaunas College Academy of Arts.

The first notes on the main open-air stage of Kaunas Jazz this year will be played by the Lithuanian jazz quintet, making their debut performance at the festival. It’s always exciting when programs created specifically for the Kaunas Jazz stage are featured—and this group’s formation was even directly encouraged by the festival itself.
Titas Jukšta is a drummer with solid experience in various musical groups and projects. His résumé includes performances with singer Mary Mo, the Vilnius Funk Collective, rock musician Gamka, the project Ritmas Kitaip, and many other musical adventures.

“They have funny-sounding nicknames, sometimes take the stage wearing dog masks, and are completely crazy,” – that’s how we described the French band HornDogz nine years ago when they first came to Kaunas Jazz. This year, we can say the same thing—only there’s even more fun musical madness, and news about this band has spread far wider compared to 2017.

The experience-filled and discovery-rich Friday program of “Kaunas Jazz” will culminate in a late-night concert, where five well-known Lithuanian jazz musicians will take the stage.
The quintet “Jazz It Was,” formed by singer Eglė Vakarinaitė and pianist Andrej Polevikov, has prepared a program inviting listeners to immerse themselves in modern arrangements of famous jazz standards.

Event is free of charge The Jazz Street program will start at the “Modern” stage with a Lindy Hop social dance hosted by the dance studio All That Swing. The studio offers plenty of Lindy Hop dancing and invites Kaunas residents to dance to jazz music reminiscent of the good old days or simply enjoy watching the dancers. Authentic old-time

The “Fusion” stage program will start with the duo of singer Nika Zundelovič and guitarist Erikas Krivelis. Nika’s music combines contemporary jazz, improvisation, and experimental expression; she has performed at numerous jazz festivals in Lithuania and abroad and collaborates with various projects. Last year, she created the interdisciplinary project What The Void Feels Like, combining music and poetry. This time, she will present an intimate program featuring pieces from her new album Hallucinating. Erikas is a rapidly developing guitarist, participating in various musical projects and a student at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. He is also a member of the alternative music group Galèra, which recently released the album Garsu, and Nika contributed to the title track of that album.

The “Free” stage program will start with young singer Vakarė Bivainytė accompanied by pianist Dainius Pavilonis. Singing from a young age, Vakarė has participated in numerous vocal competitions, and at just 14 years old, she performed at the Kaunas Jazz festival. Since then, she has steadily made her mark on Lithuania’s jazz scene. This time, the audience will enjoy a program of jazz standards performed by Vakarė, full of unexpected musical twists.

Following the duo of Nika Zundelovič and Erikas Krivelis, the “Soledad Quartet” will take the stage—a quartet led by vocalist Greta Šimkutė, performing music in the styles of Latin America and Spain, featuring improvisational interludes wrapped in rhythmic pulsations, emotional intensity, and southern passion. The quartet has been active for four years, with its members being professional musicians performing across Lithuania. Among them is bassist Gintautas Litinskas, known as a former long-time member of the legendary group Studija. Their program features carefully selected pieces in Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and English.

In the Jazz Street program, Lindy Hop will be replaced by Latin American rhythms—the performance will be by the dance studio Salsa Kaunas, one of the largest and longest-standing Latin dance schools in Lithuania.

Following Vakarė Bivainytė and pianist Dainius Pavilonis, the “Free” stage will feature Power Of Sound—a group uniting renowned jazz musicians and young talents, including one of Lithuania’s most famous drummers, Arvydas Joffė. Their program presents original interpretations of classic jazz pieces, full of vitality, creativity, sensitive vocal lines, and uplifting energy.

The “Fusion” stage program will close with the group Midnight Harbour—a quartet performing both original compositions and classic rhythm & blues and soul. “It’s music between love and longing, between tenderness and quietly aching emotions, born somewhere between Copenhagen and Klaipėda,” say the band members, whose vocalist currently lives in Denmark. “We are like a family, and the time we spend together is an inseparable part of our journey that we want to share with listeners,” they add. The band’s recent concerts in Klaipėda and Palanga were sold out. For the Kaunas Jazz audience, the group will present a program of melancholic, romantic, and nostalgic music, inspired by stars such as Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu, and Robert Glasper.

The Jazz Street program will conclude at the “Modern” stage with Kaunas Jazz Jam #12: Urban All-Style Battles. These are competitions in various street dance styles, attracting enthusiastic audience support every year.

The “Free” stage program will close with the Kaunas University of Technology Wind Ensemble The Brassbees, led by Raimundas Arnašius, active for ten years. Familiar to Jazz Street audiences, the group unites university students in Kaunas and is known for energetic performances and innovative approaches to wind music. The BrassBees perform popular jazz compositions as well as music in other styles, including funk, Latin American, and Lithuanian music, often accompanied by educational elements. This year, singer Žyginta Jašinskaitė will join the ensemble.

At “Kaunas Jazz” – Lithuanian Jazz Masters Evening with Dainius Pulauskas and Leonidas Šinkarenka
This spring, the largest jazz festival in Lithuania, Kaunas Jazz, announces another impressive gift for music lovers. This time – for those who love and follow the local jazz scene, represented in a special concert by two renowned Lithuanian musicians with their bands.

Ačas Arla Jusaitis Event is free of charge

“Golden Hour” – the final hour before sunset, when soft rays illuminate everything around and the world seems to take on magical colors. This is precisely the name of the project, Golden Hour, which one of Latvia’s most original and active jazz singers, Julija Zakirova, will present on the Kaunas Jazz stage. And it’s very symbolic—outdoors, her septet will perform during that final, “golden” hour of daylight (if you don’t believe us, check the calendars or online apps).

On the open-air stage of the “Kaunas Jazz” festival – a band that the brightest stars of today’s jazz world strongly recommend you hear.
Energetic, expressive, and stunning, the New York-based band Kennedy Administration is a sensation on today’s funk, jazz, and soul scene. We are truly thrilled and proud to bring them to Lithuania, especially since today, many major international festivals are vying for their presence.

Cozy Sunday afternoon concerts at the Kaunas Synagogue are a long-standing Kaunas Jazz tradition, offering locals and visitors the chance to discover Lithuanian and international musical talent, symbolically step into the final day of the main festival weekend, and share their accumulated impressions in a more intimate setting.
Both jazz veterans and emerging musicians, Lithuanians and notable guests from abroad, have performed in this space. From experimental to traditional jazz, and even music with folk motifs, the festival archive shows that the Sunday concerts consistently become a vivid, music-loving highlight of Kaunas Jazz.

Judith Hill – vocals, piano, guitar Peewee Hill – bass Michiko Hill – keys Shadrack Oppong – drums Sorry, this entry is only available in Lithuanian. Festivalyje „Kaunas Jazz“ dainuos „Grammy“ laimėtoja, Prince‘o ir Michaelo Jacksono bendražygė Judith Hill. Didžiausias Lietuvoje džiazo festivalis „Kaunas Jazz“ skelbia dar vieną savo 2026-ųjų pavasario sezono žvaigždę.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Lithuanian.
„Grammy“ laureatė, Prince‘o ir Michaelo Jacksono bendražygė Judith Hill surengs papildomą koncertą Lietuvoje – laukia intymus vakaras
Didžiausias Lietuvoje džiazo festivalis „Kaunas Jazz“ ir vėl džiugina muzikos gurmanus ypatingomis naujienomis. Patvirtinta, kad garsi amerikiečių dainininkė ir „Grammy“ apdovanojimo laimėtoja Judith Hill 2026-ųjų pavasarį Lietuvoje surengs ne tik anksčiau skelbtą pasirodymą Kaune, bet ir dar vieną išskirtinį koncertą. Tai bus ypatingas, intymus pasirodymas Vilniaus Šv. Kotrynos bažnyčioje balandžio 27 d. Ši papildoma proga išgirsti pasaulinio lygio muzikantę – tai dovana visiems jos talento gerbėjams.

For several years now, the spring edition of “Kaunas Jazz” has traditionally concluded with a concert at Kaunas Oncology Hospital—both as a gesture of gratitude for the daily work of the medical staff and in memory of the festival’s long-time artistic director, Indrė Jučaitė-Sarneckienė.
This year, the concert will be given by three well-known Lithuanian jazz musicians, all very familiar to “Kaunas Jazz” audiences, presenting a program titled “Life Is Beautiful.”
Two of them are a couple not only on stage but also in everyday life. Singer Veronika ChiChi and pianist Dmitrijus Golovanovas have been performing together for many years, creating music full of color and unexpected turns.

Famous saxophonist Candy Dulfer will perform for the first time at the Žalgiris Arena As spring approaches, the Kaunas Jazz festival is already inviting to start making plans for winter. It has been announced that on December 14, at the invitation of the festival, world-renowned saxophonist Candy Dulfer will perform at Kaunas’ Žalgiris Arena together with her band. Although the