The Belgrade Jazz Festival, our oldest and most internationally acclaimed jazz event, returns for its 42nd edition with a top-tier programme showcasing the latest trends in contemporary jazz. From 21 to 24 October 2026, audiences at the Belgrade Youth Centre (Dom omladine Beograda) can look forward to 13 concerts featuring prominent international artists, culminating in a final jam session.
The festival’s visual identity – featuring a stylized trumpet at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers below the Kalemegdan Fortress – inspired this year’s slogan: “Jazz Confluence” (“Ušće džeza”).
Ana Popović’s BJF Debut
For the first time in the history of the Belgrade Jazz Festival, the headlining star comes from the world of blues: Ana Popović. It also marks the first time that the main headliner is a homegrown artist from Serbia, and for good reason. Ana is the most successful Serbian protagonist of popular music of all time. Over the course of her career, she has earned ten nominations for the Blues Music Awards (the “Oscars” of the blues community), headlined major global blues festivals, and graced the covers of prestigious blues and guitar magazines.
The selection of American bands highlights the present-day diversity of the genre on its home turf. Among them, particular excitement surrounds the trio The Messthetics, whose roots trace back to the iconic alternative rock band Fugazi through bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty. This sharp post-punk trio is joined by a surprising collaborator: tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, who was named the world’s leading jazz musician in 2025 (a year in which he also thrilled local audiences).
Joining from the American scene are trumpeter Rob Mazurek presenting his Chicago Underground Duo project with drummer Chad Taylor; Marquis Hill, winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition and named top trumpet talent in DownBeat in 2016; and violinist Arun Ramamurthy’s trio, offering a hypnotic blend of South Indian Carnatic traditions and jazz fusion.
(Blic, 11.09.2026)