International Jazz Festival Münster — Shortcut 2026

A Shortcut Edition as a Harbinger of the Main Festival

The International Jazz Festival Münster is one of Germany's most important jazz festivals — founded in 1979, it has evolved over almost five decades into a central hub for contemporary, improvised jazz from Europe and the world. The Shortcut Edition 2026 on January 3 and 4 is a compact special edition — a concentrated weekend with four concerts and jam sessions, preparing for the main festival later in the year. Organized by the Cultural Office of the City of Münster.

2026 Program — Saturday, January 3 at Theater Münster

Four concerts in the Großes Haus of the Theater Münster, starting at 5:30 PM:

5:30 PM — Robinson Khoury Quatuor Demi-Lune (France)

Robinson Khoury is a young French trumpeter with Lebanese-French roots. His Quatuor Demi-Lune combines contemporary European jazz with sound elements from the Mediterranean region — multi-award-winning, regularly featured at major European festivals.

7:30 PM — Ruf der Heimat (Germany)

A German jazz formation performing under the programmatic name "Ruf der Heimat" (Call of Home), musically exploring themes of identity and homeland.

9:00 PM — Anw Be Yonbolo (France/Mali)

A crossover formation that blends Malian tradition with contemporary jazz and West African sounds — one of the most exciting encounters between African root music and improvised European jazz.

10:30 PM — Richard Koch Quintet „Rays of Light" (Germany)

German trumpeter Richard Koch presents the program "Rays of Light" with his quintet — contemporary mainstream jazz at a high international level.

Jam Session at the Atelier Bar

Following the four concerts, the festival moves to the Atelier Bar of the Theater Münster — the open jam session invites musicians and the audience to wind down together. A tradition that the Münster Jazz Festival has maintained for years and which is a firm fixture for many regular visitors.

Sunday, January 4 — Improvisations in the Dominikanerkirche

On Sunday, January 4, 2026, at 12:00 PM, an improvisation concert with free admission will take place in the Dominikanerkirche Münster. The former monastery church — now an art and cultural space — offers an extraordinary acoustic setting. Improvised contemporary jazz in sacred architecture, on a Sunday morning — a program item that concludes the festival with a special atmospheric depth.

Münster as a Jazz City

Münster, with its approximately 320,000 inhabitants and the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität (over 40,000 students), is one of the most important jazz cities in Northwest Germany. Alongside the International Jazz Festival, the Hot Jazz Club Münster, regular jazz sessions in various venues, and an active student audience shape the scene. The International Jazz Festival is the largest and most internationally networked manifestation of this local jazz culture.