Montavilla Jazz Festival 2026 Invites Portland to Step into the Rhythm of the Village This Labor Day Weekend

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Montavilla Jazz Festival 2026 Showcases Portland Artists Ready for Their National Moment

PORTLAND, OR — Montavilla Jazz Festival (MJF) returns September 4–6, 2026, with a lineup that reflects the city's depth of talent and the festival's long-standing role in developing artists who advance to national prominence. Now in its 13th year, the three-day event transforms East Portland’s historic Montavilla neighborhood into a destination for music, food, discovery, and community. In this walkable, bike-friendly "jazz village," 25 concerts unfold across five distinct venues, including six world premieres. Festival passes go on sale Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at montavillajazz.org.

Local Roots, Global Stages 

MJF has built a reputation as a launching point for Portland musicians whose careers expand beyond the region. Past participants have gone on to perform at Lincoln Center (Domo Branch), join Christian McBride's Ursa Major (Nicole Glover), and receive a Next Jazz Legacy award (Nicole McCabe). This year's roster continues that tradition, featuring artists at pivotal career junctures alongside established names who remain committed to the local ecosystem.

"We care deeply about supporting artists at important moments in their development and giving audiences the chance to experience that work up close, in the neighborhood, before it moves outward into the wider world," said  Neil Mattson, Executive Director of Montavilla Jazz.

Featured Artists 

Headliner Lo Steele’s soulful sound, poignant lyrics, and strong storytelling instincts were forged in Portland's jazz, blues, and soul scene. A performer who works across music and theater, Steele appeared on major local stages with family by age ten. Her innovative artistry has brought her to open for Dianne Reeves, Tank and The Bangas, and Patrice Rushen, and built audiences in South America, particularly Brazil. Her presence on Sunday night at Mt. Tabor Park's Caldera Amphitheater, MJF’s largest stage, with greaterkind reflects the caliber and originality of artistry that Portland produces and the festival champions.

Jessie Marquez y Su Conjunto Cantando con CUBA presents a cross-cultural project supported by a Chamber Music America Jazz Consortium Award and in partnership with Milagro/Miracle Theatre Group. A Chart-topping Latin jazz vocalist whose voice is deeply rooted in her family’s Cuban heritage, Marquez’s ensemble explores filin, a Cuban genre steeped in bolero, jazz, and bossa nova, with vivacious depth and innovative rhythms. While tightening travel restrictions prevent Marquez’s longtime collaborators Juan Carlos Marín, David Alfaro, and Julito Padrón from joining in person, the ensemble’s cultural exchange has continued through remote collaboration.

Other lineup highlights include a return from drummer Domo Branch; internationally touring and recent Portland-arrivals W4RP Trio whose experimental cross-genre performance draws from their latest release Sermon of the MatriarK; trumpeter Noah Simpson’s Unsound juxtaposes modern improvisation with live interactive visuals and a deep reverence for the jazz tradition; pianist Grant Richards brings his Orbits Trio to his hometown for the world premiere of their forthcoming album; and Idit Shner’s BCL Quartet is a spiritual and personal foray through the bass clarinet’s range.

Additional featured artists include: 

PJCE presents: Rebecca Sanborn’s Shadow Work 
North Pole Studio presents Rhythm & Hues feat. John Niekrasz, Kennedy Verrett, and Maria E Olaya
Sherry Alves’s Four for King
The Collective: Curated by Dae Bryant
Bang Bang Experience
Ayden Jay Allida
Shelly Rudolph’s Orfea Rising
Orion White’s Wen’ipt
Gordon Lee Sextet
Outer Orbit
SOFI NAVA
Aléa Lorén & Co.
BrandonLee Cierley
Jones & I with special guest MOsley WOtta
Onion

The full lineup is available at montavillajazz.org/lineup. 


The Village Experience

MJF 2026 festival leverages the entire commercial district of Montavilla, turning it into a destination for the whole weekend. “Montavilla Jazz Festival has always been about more than presenting concerts,” said Neil Mattson, Executive Director of Montavilla Jazz. “It is about creating a place where artists, audiences, venues, businesses, and neighbors come together around Portland’s creative music community. This year’s festival invites people to experience that community across a full weekend in Montavilla.”  

Rooting even more deeply into the neighborhood, satellite venues are closer to Mt. Tabor Park’s Caldera Amphitheater, the heart of the festival for the fourth year. In the neighborhood, MJF once again partners with SXSW Innovation Nominee SoundsTruck NW to bring their stage to Montavilla Plaza and indoor Portland Metro Arts for the festival’s larger and multimedia presentations. This year, MJF offers day and weekend passes to access the full village experiences across multiple venues. Attendees can explore between intimate indoor settings and expansive outdoor stages, along the way discovering free and no-cover performances programmed at Threshold Brewing, Montavilla Brew Works, and Vino Veritas Wine Bar and Bottleshop.


MJF 2026 Details

Dates: Friday, September 4 – Sunday, September 6, 2026

Primary Venues:
Caldera Amphitheater at Mt. Tabor Park
Alberta Rose Theatre (3000 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211)
Portland Metro Arts (9003 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97216)
Show Bar (1300 SE Stark St #101, Portland, OR 97214)
SoundsTruck NW at Montavilla Plaza (7900 SE Stark, Portland, OR 97214)

Passes & Tickets: Festival passes and tickets start at $25 and go on sale Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at montavillajazz.org. Early Bird pricing lasts through June 30th. Children 12 and under receive free festival passes. Discounted $5 passes are available for SNAP cardholders at the door. Separate tickets are required for events at Alberta Rose Theatre and Show Bar. 

About Montavilla Jazz: Montavilla Jazz is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to support and strengthen local music culture and enrich our community by showcasing the best of Portland jazz.

Contact:
For media inquiries: kim@vespertineworks.com. Photos are available here. Additional images and assets available upon request.