North Sea Jazz Festival

Fifty years in and still redefining what a world-class music festival can be, the legendary North Sea Jazz Festival has just unveiled another major moment for its blockbuster 2026 edition.

This year’s prestigious Artist in Residence title goes to the extraordinary Cécile McLorin Salvant — a composer, singer and visual artist widely regarded as one of the most important voices in modern jazz. And as if that wasn’t enough, guitar icon Pat Metheny is set to revisit his groundbreaking 1976 debut Bright Size Life in a once-in-a-generation performance created especially for the festival’s 50th anniversary celebrations. For North Sea Jazz, this is more than another line-up announcement. It’s a statement of intent.

McLorin Salvant arrives in Rotterdam carrying a reputation few contemporary jazz artists can match. Hailed by The New York Times in the same breath as immortals like Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, she first exploded onto the international scene after winning the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 2010. Her acclaimed breakthrough album WomanChild cemented her as a generational talent, while three consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album turned her into one of the defining artists of modern jazz.

Now, with eight albums behind her — including 2025’s daring and deeply personal Oh Snap — she takes centre stage at North Sea Jazz with not one, but four unique performances across the weekend.

Friday sees her present material from Oh Snap, while Saturday brings Book of Ayres, another ambitious chapter in her constantly evolving artistic world. On Sunday, she doubles up with two major performances: one alongside the renowned Metropole Orchestra conducted by Jules Buckley, and another intimate collaboration with pianist Sullivan Fortner.

If there was ever an artist capable of embodying the adventurous spirit of North Sea Jazz, it’s McLorin Salvant — fearless, genre-defying and impossible to predict. Then comes Pat Metheny’s contribution to the anniversary celebrations, and it promises to be something truly historic.

To mark 50 years since the release of Bright Size Life — one of the most influential jazz albums of the modern era — Metheny will revisit the record in a way fans never expected to see again. Originally released on ECM Records in 1976, the album helped redefine jazz fusion with its open, lyrical sound and became a landmark recording for generations of musicians.

At Metheny’s own request, Dutch composer and conductor Tyn Wybenga has reimagined the album for a large ensemble format. The result will be performed live at North Sea Jazz with Metheny joined by the Brainteaser Orchestra — marking the first time since the 1970s that the guitarist has revisited Bright Size Life in this form.

For jazz fans, it’s the kind of event that instantly enters festival folklore. North Sea Jazz 2026 is already shaping up as one of the defining music events of the year, balancing heritage, innovation and pure musical ambition across a line-up that continues to push far beyond the traditional boundaries of jazz.

For tickets and more information. North Sea Jazz Festival