Only in Monterey Events Include Herbie Hancock & Ron Carter Duo, 2026 Commission “America 250” by Meshell Ndegeocello, and Amy Tan & Joey Alexander Duo
Monterey, Calif, May 8, 2026; Single-Day Arena and Grounds Ticket Packages for the 69th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival, September 25-27 go on sale Friday, May 8 at 10 a.m. PST and can be purchased online at montereyjazz.org or by calling 888.248.6499.
Single-Day Arena Tickets offer a reserved daily seat for shows on the Jimmy Lyons Stage in the Arena, plus, access to all performances and activities on the four Grounds Stages that day. Single-Day Tickets Packages are $110 for Friday and $215 for Saturday or Sunday.
Single-Day Arena Lawn Tickets are $75 for Friday and $135 for Saturday or Sunday. Single-Day Ground Tickets are $65 for Friday and $90 for Saturday or Sunday.
The Festival, the longest continuously-running jazz festival in the world and now in its 69th year, will feature 73 performances from iconic jazz masters and emerging artists, educational events, and conversations on five stages. This vibrant, fun and unique festival experience offers 30 hours of live music spanning three days and nights, accompanied by an array of 70 international cuisine, arts & crafts and merchandise vendors on the oak-studded 20 acres of the Monterey County Fair & Event Center, located at 2000 Fairground Road in Monterey.
Also announced today is the MJF69 Commission artist, three-time Grammy-winning bassist, singer-songwriter and Blue Note recording artist Meshell Ndegeocello, who will be making her debut at MJF69 in 2026. Her Grammy honors include the first-ever award for Best Alternative Jazz Album in 2024. Ndegeocello will debut the commission, America 250, to commemorate the semiquincentennial of the founding of the United States on the Jimmy Lyons Stage at 7:15pm on Saturday, September 26.
“I’m beyond thrilled for the 69th annual Monterey Jazz Festival,” said Artistic Adviser Gerald Clayton. “The diverse lineup of incredible artists perfectly represents jazz’s broad spectrum of beauty and expression. Whether you’re a longtime supporter or a first-timer, this year’s festival promises to be a soulfully-fulfilling event.”
The multiple-Grammy Award-winning Arena lineup on the Jimmy Lyons Stage begins on Friday night September 25 and includes the Eddie Palmieri Experience — a tribute to the late salsa master with special guests Alain Pérez, David Sánchez, Carlos Henriquez, Melissa Aldana, and others; and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis with special guest Cécile McLorin Salvant. This will also be Marsalis’ final appearance at Monterey as the leader of this influential big band. Friday Grounds artists include Ron Carter Foursight Quartet; Alexa Tarantino Quartet, Melissa Aldana Quartet, the J.J. Johnson Legacy Project, and the USAF Commanders Jazz Ensemble, and more.
The Saturday September 26 Arena lineup includes a Blues Jam with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram & Friends with special guest Shemekia Copeland; the only-in-Monterey “Monterey Surprise: Throwback to ’58” with soon-to-be-announced artists; Ravi Coltrane Quartet; Reggie Watts; the MJF69 commission piece: America 250 by Meshell Ngegeocello, and Cécile McLorin Salvant. Saturday Grounds artists include Shemekia Copeland Band, Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band, David Sanchez’s Carib Ensemble, Linda May Han Oh Trio, Reggie Watts, and more.
The Sunday September 27 Arena lineup includes Brittany Davis and Black Thunder; Next Generation Jazz Orchestra with Ambrose Akinmusire and Gerald Clayton; aja monet; Charles Lloyd Quartet; and Herbie Hancock & Ron Carter, making their first appearance together at the festival in 34 years and their first appearance as a duo. Sunday Grounds artists include Joey Alexander Quartet; The Bad Plus; Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet; Greg Hutchinson’s Kind of Now; and Amy Tan & Joey Alexander performing Backyard Bird Chronicles live, and more.
The lineup for the 69th Monterey Jazz Festival can be found on https://montereyjazz.org/festival/schedule
MJF69 promotional video can be seen at https://youtu.be/xGw7x2BplFg
High-resolution photos available at https://montereyjazzfestival.canto.com/v/MontereyJazzImagePortal
69th Monterey Jazz Festival, September 25-27, 2026
MJF69 Artist-in-Residence: Ambrose Akinmusire
MJF69 Commission Artist: Meshell Ndegeocello
(In order of appearance / Partial list, more to be announced)
All artists and times are subject to change.
Single-Day Tickets on sale May 8
Friday, September 25
ARENA
Jimmy Lyons Stage: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis with special guest Cécile McLorin Salvant; Eddie Palmieri Experience special guests Alain Pérez, David Sánchez, Carlos Henriquez, Melissa Aldana
GROUNDS
Garden Stage: USAF Commanders Jazz Ensemble; Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice; J.J. Johnson Legacy Project with Nick Finzer, Isaiah J. Thompson, Rufus Reid, Lewis Nash; Isaiah J. Thompson Quartet
West End Stage: Alexa Tarantino Quartet; Patrick Bartley Quartet; Melissa Aldana Quartet; Ron Carter Foursight Quartet
Pacific Jazz Café: Jazz House Big Band; Kate Kortum; Katie Thiroux; Veronica Leahy – Emmanuel Michael Duo
Courtyard Stage: Inn at Spanish Bay Presents; Pearl Hour Presents: Zach Westfall Group; NGJO-NGWIJ Combo Jam Session
Saturday, September 26
ARENA
Jimmy Lyons Stage: Blues Jam with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram & Friends featuring Shemekia Copeland; Monterey Surprise! 1958 Throwback; Ravi Coltrane Centennial Celebration; Reggie Watts; Meshell Ndegeocello: MJF69 Commission America 250; Cécile McLorin Salvant
GROUNDS
Garden Stage: Next Generation Women in Jazz Combo; Shemekia Copeland Band; Monterey Jazz Regional All-Star Ensembles; Sylvia Cuenca’s Bridging Generations with David Kikoski, Wallace Roney, Jr., Rico Jones and Essiet Essiet
West End Stage: Mariachi Herencia de México; David Sanchez’s Carib Ensemble; Reggie Watts; Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band; Rufus Reid with the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra; Bulldog Bass Jam
Pacific Jazz Café: DownBeat Double Blindfold Test: Tim Jackson vs. Gerald Clayton; Paul Cornish Trio; Atom String Quartet; Linda May Han Oh Trio with Fabian Almazan & Mark Whitfield Jr.; Isaiah Collier Plays Coltrane
Courtyard Stage: Texas Southern University Jazz Combo; MidiCi Monterey Presents: Janice Perl & Friends; PG Meetinghouse Presents; Pop & Hiss Presents: TJ Kuenster & Ricketts Folly; Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice
Sunday, September 27
ARENA
Jimmy Lyons Stage: Brittany Davis & Black Thunder; Next Generation Jazz Orchestra directed by Gerald Clayton; aja monet; Charles Lloyd Quartet: 60th Anniversary of Forest Flower; Herbie Hancock & Ron Carter Duo: For Miles
GROUNDS
Garden Stage: Gospel with Tammy L. Hall & Friends; Dabin Ryo Trio; Gregory Hutchinson’s Kind of Now with Ambrose Akinmusire & Gerald Clayton; Brittany Davis & Black Thunder; aja monet
West End Stage: Joey Alexander Quartet featuring Jaleel Shaw; Kris Davis Trio with Robert Hurst & Johnathan Blake; Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet; The Bad Plus Farewell Tour; Bulldog Bass Jam
Pacific Jazz Café: Bokani Dyer Trio; Akira Tana’s Osaka Quartet feat. Atsuko Hashimoto with special guest Jackie Ryan; Denise Thimes; Amy Tan & Joey Alexander: Backyard Bird Chronicles Live; Artifacts Trio feat. Tomeka Reid, Nicole Mitchell, Mike Reed; Michael Mayo
Courtyard Stage: Monterey Jazz Presents: Trading Fours; Wild Fish Presents: The Lighthouse Jazz Quartet; June Cavlan (2 sets); Student Jam Session
About Monterey Jazz Festival
Founded in 1958 by the late Jimmy Lyons and late jazz critic Ralph Gleason, the Monterey Jazz Festival is the longest continuously-running jazz festival in the world. Set upon the oak-filled grounds at the scenic Monterey Fairgrounds, the festival hosted virtually every major artist in the art form’s history, including Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis. In addition to the annual presentation of an iconic jazz festival, Monterey Jazz Festival is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) whose mission is to provide year-round opportunities for jazz education and performance for youth of all ages and backgrounds.
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For more information, high-resolution photographs and interviews, please contact
Timothy Orr
Marketing and Archives Manager
Monterey Jazz Festival
Direct Line: 831.646.8670
Monterey Phone: 831.373.3366
[email protected]
https://montereyjazz.org
