The Sydney Con Jazz Festival will return on 31 May with its most expansive program to date, one featuring 26 concerts and 140 artists across six venues at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Now in its seventh year, the one-day event has built a reputation as one of Sydney’s most affordable large-scale music festivals, combining established names, international guests and emerging talent in an all-day program running from noon to 9pm.

Reinier Baas and Ben van Gelder. Photo © Jonathan Herman

Dutch alto saxophonist Ben van Gelder and guitarist Reinier Baas will headline the 2026 edition in a premium concert expected to be among the festival’s fastest-selling events. The UK’s Jazz News described their 2024 album This is Water as “jazz without the brakes”.

Other international highlights include Switzerland-based Australian vocalist Kristin Berardi performing with German pianist-composer Florian Ross and strings, while Belgian pianist Jef Neve teams with Dutch trumpeter Teus Nobel for a duo set.

Australian acts on the bill include pianist Barney McAll, the Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra, Andrea Keller Quartet, Josh Meader Trio...