22-25 April 2026
A woman wearing traditional attire raises her fist and smiles while holding a guitar on stage, performing passionately under stage lights, with a percussionist visible in the background.

Showcases

Who will be the 38 showcases in 2026?

Showcases are the 30 to 45 minute short concerts at jazzahead! which are open to the general public and at the same time part of the trade fair. The 38 showcase bands have previously applied and are selected by international expert juries. The jazz highlights and current formations from Germany, Europe, Overseas/Africa as well as from the partner country 2026 Sweden can be experienced on three days and nights on the stages of Hall 7 and the Kulturzentrum Schlachthof.

Showcase Selection
Application
Selection Process
Jury
Showcase Videos

Final Showcase Selection 2026

We are very happy to announce our official showcase selection for jazzahead! 2026!

Swedish
German Jazz Expo
Overseas / Africa
European

Swedish Showcases 2026

Band
Country
Agnas Bros.
SE
Bitoi
SE
Britta Virves Trio
SE
Daniel Karlsson Trio
SE
Hederosgruppen
SE
Joel Lyssarides Trio
SE
Langendorf United
SE
Nine Sparks Riots
SE

German Jazz Expo Showcases 2026

Band
Country
Àbáse
DE
Bonsai
DE
CRUTCHES
DE
Kristina Brodersen – KRISTINA 4
DE
RE:CALAMARI
DE
Richard Koch – Rays of Light
DE
Sara Decker – Expand
DE
Sorvina
DE

Overseas / Jazz from Africa Showcases 2026

Band
Country
Jeremy Ledbetter Trio
CA
Kossi Mawun
TG
Malika Zarra
US/FR
Michael Pipoquinha
BR
SAHAD
SN
Sharon Mansur Trio
IL
Sydney Mavundla Quartet
ZA
Tonina
US/UK/IT

European Showcases 2026

Band
Country
Aksel Rønning Trio
NO
Anaïs Drago – ReLeVé
IT
Jasmine Myra
UK
Jure Pukl – Analog AI
SI/US/FR/DE
KNOBIL
CH
L’Antidote
FR/IT/AU
Laura Jurd
UK
Marco Centasso Um/Welt
IT/FR/TU
N∆BOU
BE
Nana Rashid
DK
Peter Somuah Group
NL
Sol Jang Trio
NL
Wajdi Riahi Trio
BE
yvonne moriel :: sweetlife
AT

Application

The showcase application phase for jazzahead! 2026 has ended on 8 October 2025! . The application phase for jazzahead! 2027 will start around Sep 2026.

The selection of bands performing has been chosen by international expert juries, one for each showcase module. You can find all jury teams in the “jury” section.  

If you have questions, you can contact Insa Stanke.

More information about the jury criteria

Contact Person

Insa Stanke

Insa Stanke

Showcase Festival, International Promoters
M3B GmbH
+49 (0)421 3505 680
stanke@jazzahead.de

Selection Process

The selection of jazzahead! showcase bands are held by annually changing expert juries. Each of the four showcase modules has its own jury team with at least seven jury members, festival and program directors from the international jazz scene.

Criteria

The selection process consists of three phases:

  1. Firstly, the individual listening of all applications by the jury members and their online voting.
  2. This results in a short list of bands/artists. These arists/bands are then evaluated by different criteria via a points system.
  3. The third voting session will be held with all jury members via online conference where the final program of the showcases will be discussed and decided.

Criteria for the first voting session

What counts: the main criteria for selection are musical quality and whether the band/artists is/are able to perform on an international level. Age, gender and origin are of no importance. The criteria for the second voting session will be communicated to the jury members with the short list of the bands – the result of this first voting session.

Second voting session

As for the first voting session now, for the second voting session, other criteria should be taken into account:

  • Instrumentation
  • Country of origin (does not apply for GJE and the night of the partner country)
  • Gender

Also considered is the probability that the band will present exactly the line-up stated in the application and that the final program should present a wide stylistic range.

See preconditions

Jury

Here you can find the jury teams for jazzahead! 2026.

Swedish Showcases Jury

Name
Organisation
Country
Edin Bahtijaragic
Victoriateatern Malmö
SE
Birgit Krullo
Jazzkaar Estonia
EE
Magnus Lunay
Moldejazz / YOF
NO / SE
Paul Pace
Ronnie Scott’s
UK
Hermes Villena
King Georg
DE
Atsuko Yashima
Tokyo Jazzfestival / Eight Islands Co. Ltd.
JP

German Jazz Expo Jury

Name
Organisation
Country
Ceyda Berk-Söderblom
MiklagardArt
FI
Marie Blobel
Jazzwerkstatt Peitz
DE
Antra Dreģe
VEF JAZZ CLUB
LV
Ruth Fisher
Watford Jazz Junction Festival / Cambridge Jazz Festival / Red Sea Jazz Festival / OneJazz / JazzFM
UK
Gavin Maycroft
Fasching / Stockholm Jazz Festival
SE
George Mitsios
Preveza Jazz Festival
GR

Overseas and Jazz from Africa Jury

Name
Organisation
Country
Modibo Keita
Festival International de Jazz Montreal
CA
Philip Küppers
Goethe-Institut
MO
Sonya Mazumdar
Jazz Reunion Festivals
RE / FR
Djim Radé
Jazz Made In Chad Festival
TD
Gözde Sivisoglu
Akbank Jazz Festival
TR
Ernest Stuart
Mid-Atlantic Arts / MAKE-SHIFT Arts
US

European Showcases Jury

Name
Organisation
Country
Maxime Bender
TRIFOLION Echternach
LX
Enrico Bettinello
Jazz & Wine of Peace Festival / Circolo Controtempo
IT
Jean-Yves Cavin
Cully Jazz
CH
Marina Fernandez
Jazz Cadiz Festival
ES
Dmitrij Golovanov
Jazz Cellar 11
LT
Simon Kenda
Jazz Cerkno
SI
Eddie Lee
Sligo Jazz Festival
IE
Patricia Pascal
Tomorrow’s Warriors
UK
Anne Sanogo
Philharmonie de Paris
FR
Josephine Stensson
Jazz i Malmö
SE
Maarten Van Rousselt
Flagey
BE

Showcase Videos 2025

Click and listen through the playlist of the 2025 showcase concerts.

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