Enjoy Jazz – Festival for Jazz and More 2026

Three-City Festival in the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region

Enjoy Jazz was founded in Heidelberg in 1999 and has since developed into one of the most important festivals for jazz and genre-transcending music in Europe. From the very beginning, the festival was conceived as a three-city festival: concerts take place simultaneously in Heidelberg, Mannheim, and Ludwigshafen – the three cities of the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region, which together have around 600,000 inhabitants and are connected by a 20-minute drive.

Festival Format: One Concert Per Evening

The festival organizers have consciously decided against the model of parallel stages. As a rule, there is only one concert per evening and city – ensuring the full attention for the artists and their music. In 2026, the program comprises a total of 39 events over five weeks.

Venues 2026

In Heidelberg, the Konzerthaus Stadthalle, Karlstorbahnhof, Alte Aula der Universität, EPPLE Heidelberg, Sammlung Prinzhorn, and Metropolink's Commissary are the main stages. In Mannheim, the festival plays at Alte Feuerwache and Rosengarten. In Ludwigshafen, the program includes dasHaus, BASF Feierabendhaus, BASF Gesellschaftshaus, and Friedenskirche. Additionally, Enjoy Jazz uses Hambacher Schloss in Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Schlosstheater Schwetzingen, and Franz Danzi Saal Schwetzingen.

Program 2026 – Selection

Headliners for the 2026 edition include Ezra Collective (Mercury Prize 2023), Souad Massi, Melissa Aldana, Tom Skinner, Jason Moran, Lakecia Benjamin, Gregory Porter, Melody Gardot (November 5th at BASF Feierabendhaus Ludwigshafen), as well as Apparat and Bohren & Der Club of Gore on the electronic side. Lizz Wright and the Sullivan Fortner Trio are also part of the lineup. Over 20,000 visitors attend the festival each year.

The Festival in Numbers

Over 25 years of festival history, 39 events in 2026, over 20,000 visitors annually, three core cities, over ten venues in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. The festival is supported by the state of Baden-Württemberg, the City of Heidelberg, the City of Mannheim, the City of Ludwigshafen, and private sponsors (especially BASF SE).