Clockwise from left: Northampton Jazz Festival headliner, alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, performs her new album “We Dream” on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Academy of Music at 7:30 p.m.
Photo credit: Elizabeth Leitzell
NORTHAMPTON — Jazz will once again engulf the streets of downtown Northampton as the Northampton Jazz Festival returns Sept. 25 and 26, bringing 80 musicians to 17 venues for its 15th annual event.
Since its founding in 2011, the Northampton Jazz Festival has become a celebrated music event bringing over 2,000 visitors to the city of Northampton, according to organizers.
“It’s a fabulous milestone, and we’re really proud of it. We are an all-volunteer organization. We have no paid staff. There’s a 10-member board, and we all work hard to put on this festival,” said Northampton Jazz Festival President Ruth Griggs.
The weekend’s events kick off with the Jazz Strut that Friday, Sept. 25, at 4 p.m. in Pulaski Park. That is followed by Jazz Fest Day on Saturday, Sept. 26, which features free performances at seven locations across the city.
“The Northampton Jazz Festival has developed a really positive reputation over the years, especially these past couple of years,” Griggs added. “The word is out that this is a great little festival and that we treat our musicians really well and that it’s a very accessible festival. I’m just really proud of the reputation that this little festival has earned.”
Headlining this year’s festival is alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, who will perform at the Academy of Music on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 7:30 p.m. Benjamin is a six-time Grammy nominee, arranger, composer, bandleader and educator, whose music blends R&B, several strains of jazz and funk.
Benjamin’s tone, which has been compared to Johnny Hodges, uses many forms of music, according to organizers. Her acclaimed albums “Phoenix” (2023) and “Pursuance: The Coltranes” (2020) garnered praise from The New York Times, The Guardian and DownBeat.
Her newest album, “We Dream,” released on June 5, responds to the current time. She will perform with Oscar Perez on piano, Elias Bailey on bass and Jonathan Barber on drums.
“We’re especially excited to bring Lakecia Benjamin to the Academy of Music this year as our headliner,” said Griggs. “Lakecia is the future of jazz. She is bold, she’s a composer, she’s a John Coltrane scholar, and she has collaborated with some of the most respected musicians in jazz today, such as Chris Potter, on her latest album ‘We Dream.’ She blends multiple genres into her music, bending toward the future this great American music tradition known as jazz.”
Benjamin’s concert is the only ticketed event at the festival. Tickets are $35 to $55 plus fees and are available at AoMTheatre.com or at the Academy of Music Box Office Tuesday through Friday from 3-6 p.m. Student tickets are $20 plus fees, and Mass Cultural Council’s Card to Culture tickets are available for this concert. Tickets are available at northamptonjazzfest.org/jazz-fest-2026.
The full lineup of free daytime festival performances on Jazz Fest Day will feature jazz musicians from across the country and region performing in downtown venues. Griggs said the festival’s growth over the years has made it a hotbed attraction for jazz from all over.
The Friday night Jazz Strut will begin with performances at Pulaski Park by the Northampton High School Jazz Band ensemble MS Sunshine, followed by the Smith College Jazz Ensemble. Sets throughout the evening and late night will be performed at Spoleto, Northampton Brewery, India House, GOMBO, Eastside Grill, Progression Brewing, Haze and Toasted Owl.
Griggs further spoke to the festival’s distinct qualities and its approachable nature.
“I think the other thing that we’ve established is a certain uniqueness about this festival that people have grown to really embrace and that’s that we’re accessible, we’re free and open to the public, we’re open to all, we’re in different venues around town so people get to enjoy Northampton and all that Northampton has to offer, let alone jazz, and it’s a very intimate festival,” said Griggs.
To view the full lineup and schedule for this year’s two-day festival, visit northamptonjazzfest.org/jazz-fest-2026.
Volunteers can sign up for the Friday and Saturday events at northamptonjazzfest.org/volunteer. For more information about the schedule, musician bios and music samples, visit northamptonjazzfest.org, email info@northamptonjazzfest.org or visit the Jazz Fest on Instagram and Facebook @northamptonjazzfest.
