28th Annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival Returns to Mears Park June 19-20 With World-Class Talent and Free Admission
The 28th Annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival takes place June 19 and 20 in and around Mears Park in the Lowertown neighborhood of downtown St. Paul, featuring two outdoor main stages, more than 18 venues and a full weekend of free performances including the Yellowjackets, JazzMN Orchestra featuring Michael Mayo, Sullivan Fortner, Lucia Sarmiento and the Yogev Shetrit Trio.
One of the largest free civic jazz festivals in the upper Midwest is back, and it is bringing world-class talent to the streets of St. Paul.
The 28th Annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival takes place June 19 and 20, 2026, in and around Mears Park in the Lowertown neighborhood of downtown St. Paul. All performances at all venues and clinics are free and open to everyone. The festival is a walking event with two outdoor stages at Mears Park and more than 18 St. Paul venues featuring jazz programming throughout the weekend.
The Twin Cities Jazz Fest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission of bringing communities together to enjoy and appreciate the art form of jazz and inspire new generations of youth. What started as a small one-day event in downtown Minneapolis 27 years ago has grown into one of the region’s most beloved annual celebrations of live music.
AARP Minnesota Main Stage at Mears Park
All main stage performances on Friday and Saturday are free.
Friday, June 19
The Selby Avenue Brass Band with Thomasina Petrus opens the main stage at 4 p.m., bringing their New Orleans-rooted sound and expanding it into multiple genres. At 6 p.m., the Yogev Shetrit Trio takes the stage with original compositions that elegantly fuse traditional North African music, Gnawa, Andalusian music, contemporary jazz, and Mediterranean music. Shetrit returns to the Twin Cities Jazz Festival stage for the first time since 2019. The night closes at 8:30 p.m. with the Yellowjackets, a Grammy-nominated jazz institution with 43 years of history, 26 albums, and a sound that draws from fusion, post-bop, and contemporary jazz.
Saturday, June 20
Walker West Music Academy and MacPhail Center for Music kick off the main stage with youth performances at noon. Peruvian-American saxophonist and composer Lucia Sarmiento takes the stage at 2 p.m., bringing jazz, funk, and traditional Peruvian rhythms shaped by her years in Minneapolis. The Zacc Harris Group performs at 4 p.m., led by the Minneapolis-based guitarist and composer who has earned Best Jazz Artist honors and drawn critical acclaim nationally and internationally. The evening closes at 8:30 p.m. with JazzMN Orchestra featuring vocalist Michael Mayo, whose sophomore album Fly received two Grammy nominations in 2024. JazzMN Orchestra is Minnesota’s premier professional jazz ensemble, now celebrating nearly three decades in the Twin Cities.
A Full Weekend Across St. Paul
Beyond the main stage, the festival spreads across more than 18 venues in the Lowertown neighborhood and surrounding areas, featuring dozens of additional artists across every corner of the jazz landscape. Highlights include the Sullivan Fortner Trio, a Grammy Award-winning pianist and composer performing Saturday at 6 p.m. at Mears Park; the Selby Avenue Brass Band; Connie Evingson; the Cedar Avenue Big Band with Colleen Raye; Kevin Gamble’s Ray Charles Tribute Band featuring special guest Robyn Charles, daughter of Ray Charles; and performances by local youth ensembles, high school jazz bands, and student musicians from across the metro.
Youth programming, masterclasses, and clinics run throughout the weekend, all free and open to the public.
Getting There
Mears Park is located in the Lowertown neighborhood of downtown St. Paul. Most stages and venues are within walking distance of each other. For the full schedule, artist lineup, and venue map, visit https://www.twincitiesjazzfestival.com/