the washington heights
jazz festival
Jazz WaHi launched the Washington Heights Jazz Festival in 2018 to showcase talented local musicians we'd met through our jam sessions. The response was immediate: capacity crowds came out for exceptional performances, and we knew we had tapped into something special.
The Festival has grown steadily since then. We now present over 65 musicians across 7 neighborhood venues, drawing over 600 attendees annually. While our lineup includes top-tier jazz artists from across New York City, we continue to feature Washington Heights musicians at the heart of the Festival. This mix of local and visiting talent creates hometown pride and a small-town feel, unusual for a NYC jazz event. Performers and audiences alike share a sense of ownership in something built by and for the community.
The 9th Annual Washington Heights Jazz Festival November 5-8, 2026!
World class jazz - Hometown feel!
The lineup:
Wednesday, Nov 4: Festival Kick-off with Ginita y La Orquesta Esa. United Palace, 6:00-8:00
Thursday, Nov 5: Vocal Series performance by Jamile. Le Cheile, 8:00
Friday, Nov 6: Happy Hour Jazz,Artist TBA. 181 Cabrini, 6:00-8:00. Festival All-Star Jam Session. Kismat, 7:00-10:00
Saturday, Nov 7: Louise Rogers’ Jazz for Kids Concert, 11:00-noon. Followed by performances by The Ted Nash Trio with Pete McCann, The Digba Ogunbiyi Quartet, Kavita Shah & François Moutin, The Akili Bradley Quartet, The Video Game Orchestra, The Berta Moreno Septet (winner of the Jazz WaHi Composition Competition), The Jazz WaHi Big ‘Nuff Band, and more! Le Cheile, 1:00-11:00
Sunday, Nov 8: Jazz Brunch, Artist TBA. The Bonnefont, 11:00-1:00. Afternoon Jazz Concert, Artist TBA, St. Frances Cabrini Shrine, 2:30-3:30. We close with our traditional Latin Jazz Party with Tres Gatos, special guest Argelio del Nodal. Dutch Baby Bakery, 5:00-7:00.
The Venues:
United Palace. 4140 Broadway.
Le Cheile. 839 W. 181st St.
181 Cabrini. 854 W. 181st St.
The Bonnefont. 1 Margaret Corbin Dr.
Kismat Indian Restaurant. 803 W. 187th St.
St. Frances Cabrini Shrine. 701 Ft. Washington Ave.
Dutch Baby Bakery. 813 W. 187th St.