The autumn season runs from September 4th to December 4th – in October there will also be an open jam session with free admission.
The Live!Jazz Darmstadt kicks off its autumn season on Friday, September 4, 2026. Until December 4, the Evangelical City Church Parish of Darmstadt will host ten concerts and an open jam session in the city church. The program ranges from swing and chamber jazz to electronically influenced indie jazz. All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m.
The festival kicks off on September 4th with a solo program ranging from Gershwin to Ellington by American pianist and saxophonist Chris Hopkins. The following day, "free for change," a project by Darmstadt guitarist Stefan Hladek featuring Cathrin Ambach, Kalin Yanchev, and Alexander Hladek, will take the stage.
Live! Jazz Darmstadt with Rilke settings and “Continuum”
On September 12, the international quartet AZOLIA, featuring singer Sophie Tassignon, will present a program of musical settings of selected poems by Rainer Maria Rilke to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his death. The Nathan Ott Quartet will present its latest album, "Continuum," on September 25. The ensemble includes drummer Nathan Ott and Christof Lauer, a long-time soloist with the NDR Bigband.
In October, Filippou & Lucaciu will perform on October 10th with vibraphone and double bass. Robert Lucaciu was awarded the German Jazz Prize this year. On October 16th, a free jam session will open the stage to young musicians from the region. The Oli Bott Trio will play "Chronicles of Jazz" on October 17th, before the Olivier Chavet Quartet presents its album "ELEMENTS" on October 30th.
Three concerts to conclude the autumn season
The Volker Heuken Trio continues the series on November 14th with their electronically influenced indie jazz program "Future Backup". On November 28th, the Hamburg-based quartet BLUFF will perform their own compositions.
The Live!Jazz Darmstadt festival concludes on December 4th with a performance by guitarist Arne Jansen and cellist/double bassist Stephan Braun. They will present their joint program "Short Stories".
Info:
Dates: September 4 to December 4, 2026, 7:30 p.m. each day, Evangelical City Church Darmstadt, Kirchstraße 11, 64283 Darmstadt
Single concert: €20 plus advance booking fee, concessions €10 for students and pupils; box office: €25, concessions €12.50; JazzKart for all ten concerts: €100 plus advance booking fee, concessions €50. Jam session on October 16: free admission
More information: https://www.stadtkirche-darmstadt.de
Further information
Tickets: www.ztix.de or at the box office
Featured image: BLUFF. Photo by Anton Deyß
