Kicking off the 2025 festival in style, Fed Square pulses with a dream collaboration as UK multi-instrumentalist Tenderlonious teams up with local groove masters Horatio Luna and On-Ly. Celebrating the release of their hotly awaited new record Superb, Surprise Chef serve up a slice of cinematic soul and infectious grooves for an irresistible hometown party. Then, international superstar DJ Natasha Diggs (US)…

Danilo Pérez has led the way as one of the most influential pianists and composers in contemporary jazz. His deeply expressive improvisation and virtuosic piano technique combined with his unique blend of Latin American, African and European influences, has been admired by his contemporaries and audiences for nearly four decades.…

The Hormesis Project is the latest endeavour from award-winning South African multi-hyphenate Fem Belling. Featuring a unique lineup of single-melody instrumentation — voice, three violins, cello, double bass and drums — this project explores the intersection of contemporary groove and improvisation within the vocal and string jazz world. Through original…

Get ready for a full-throttle celebration of swing, soul, and sizzling solos as three local big bands take over Fed Square for Big Band Saturday — a free, open-air concert on the opening weekend of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival. From the soaring brass of Australia’s premier Air Force Big…

For nearly four decades, Panamanian pianist and composer Danilo Pérez has led the charge as one of the most imaginative and influential musicians in contemporary jazz. The GRAMMY-winning maestro has collaborated with some of the most revered figures in jazz, including Dizzy Gillespie and Wynton Marsalis, notably joining the Wayne…

Profoundly influential drummer, composer, poet and mentor Allan Browne OAM was a driving force in shaping Australian jazz over his remarkable five-decade career. His legendary Monday night residency at Bennetts Lane Jazz Club became a much-loved institution, nurturing generations of musicians – many of whom have gone on to become…

The violinist, composer, producer and genre-chameleon best known for blending cosmic jazz, hip hop, Brazilian choro, orchestral soul and deep house, takes audiences into his ever-expanding, multi-dimensional universe in this immersive one-off show. For over two decades, Rogeon has built a colourful body of work – from hip-hop and funk LPs to…

From his early work with Miles Davis and Art Blakey to his recent collaborations with Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) and Adrian Younge’s project Jazz Is Dead, Gary Bartz is a pioneering force in shaping the language of jazz improvisation. For this special conversation, Bartz will be joined by…