Biamp Portland Jazz Festival | The Official Guide to Portland

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Jazz acts take many forms and sizes to improvise and create beautiful music.

Credit: PDX Jazz

For 10 days in March, the Biamp Portland Jazz Festival comes to life in venues across the city, featuring performances spanning jazz, soul and experimental sound.

With more than 50 citywide performances across approximately 30 venues, you can hear the vibes rising in real time at the Biamp Portland Jazz Festival. Heralding the end of winter, the annual festival showcases rising boundary-pushing artists alongside Jazz Masters and Grammy Award Winners. In 2026, headliners include St. Vincent, Mavis Staples, Madeleine Peyroux, and the Bill Frisell Trio, alongside rising voices like MonoNeon + Mohini Dey, Jeff Parker IVtet + SML, and the debut of Stumptown Sirens Jazz Orchestra, Portland’s first all-female big band.

Where To See Shows

A number of Portland’s hippest lounges, clubs and concert venues book Portland Jazz Festival shows, from The Get Down to The Nines. Established jazz venues like The 1905 and the Jack London Revue book jazz acts year-round and use Jazz Fest as their chance to bring new fans into the fold, while larger venues like the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, The Old Church and Revolution Hall offer showcase environments that make the festival a special occasion even for true live jazz heads.

Past lineups have included incredible performances, such as two-time Grammy winner Erykah Badu at the Moda Center, eight-time Grammy winner Terence Blanchard at Newmark Theatre and eight-time Grammy winner Christian McBride and Ursa Major at Revolution Hall.

Dedicated to preserving America’s original art form, Portland Jazz Festival host and local music organization PDX Jazz offers education and outreach programs extending into Portland’s schools and neighborhoods, along with a generous offering of free performances, film and jazz conversations. Show attendees are directly supporting the organization’s mission to evolve the art of jazz by engaging our community, celebrating live performance, and enhancing arts education.

For All Ages

The 2026 Festival includes an all-ages Swingin’ Sounds jam at Rose City Book Pub, outdoor programming at Director Park, and the return of Jazz Vespers at St. James Lutheran Church. The home of the Portland Youth Jazz Orchestra, Burlingame Space, is also hosting all-ages shows, including Shanghai Woolies. Check listings for additional family-friendly events.

Portland Jazz Festival History

The Biamp Portland Jazz Festival reflects its organizational mission to evolve the art of jazz since its founding in 2004. What started as a small three-day event in downtown hotels has grown into a 10-day, citywide jazz festival that includes ticketed and free performances, films, artist conversations, lectures, masterclasses, exhibitions, and jam sessions. In addition to the annual festival, PDX Jazz has added year-round concerts, free community shows and education programs for underserved youth, partnerships with local nonprofits, and enhanced performance opportunities for Portland musicians. 

Other Portland Jazz Festivals

Jazz lovers have reason to visit our soulful city throughout the year, as other longstanding festivals take center stage. Jazz Oregon’s Annual Cathedral Park Jazz Festival takes place in July, in its stunning location beneath the St. Johns Bridge. In honor of Vanport’s uprooted black community, the Vanport Jazz Festival returns each August, with 2025’s event held on campus at the University of Portland. As summer comes to an end, the Montavilla Jazz Festival arrives as a three-day neighborhood celebration in September.