Annual jazz festival returns for its 22nd edition with a record 17-day program

Along the autumn bank of the Huangpu River, as a cool breeze sweeps past, it carries the soft notes of a trumpet, the warm tone of a saxophone solo, the steady pulse of a double bass, and spontaneous cheers of an outdoor crowd. Across sunlit parks and vibrant avenues, the waterfront becomes a giant soundstage.

From Oct 16 to Nov 1, that vivid scene will transform Shanghai's sprawling Qiantan area in the Pudong New Area into an open-air jazz paradise, as the 22nd JZ Festival brings its largest and longest edition yet to the city's riverside.

The 17-day festival will feature over 146 performances by more than 100 musicians from 29 countries and regions, spanning 13 venues across 1.3 square kilometers, including parks, theaters and shopping streets. Except for ticketed indoor concerts, all outdoor performances and forums will be free and open to the public. According to the organizers, Lujiazui Group and JZ Music, the festival is also the centerpiece of the 2026 New Bund Chillout, running from Sept 20 to Nov 1 in Pudong.

The JZ Festival has been held in Shanghai annually since 2005. It is the largest jazz festival in China and the second-largest in Asia.

Building on last year's success, which set records in the Qiantan area with 1.23 million visits and 162 million yuan ($24 million) in consumer spending, JZ Festival founder Ren Yuqing emphasizes, "The past is just the past; we will create an innovative future."