Colombia Celebrates Jazz in September with Festivals in 4 Cities Across the Country
September is becoming one of the most important months for jazz lovers in Colombia. Over the coming weeks, cities across the country will host festivals and events dedicated to the genre, featuring everything from traditional jazz to fusions with Latin American rhythms, Colombian music, Afro-Caribbean sounds, and contemporary expressions.
The agenda includes events in Bogota, Medellin, Mompox, and Cartagena, bringing together national and international artists in public spaces, theaters, historic plazas, and cultural venues.
More than simply a series of concerts, the festivals scheduled for September present jazz as a space for cultural exchange. The activities include live performances, master classes, workshops, and initiatives designed to bring the genre closer to audiences of different ages and backgrounds.
Jazz will travel through four Colombian cities in September
Throughout September, jazz will take over different venues across Colombia through festivals featuring national and international artists. Mompox, Bogota, Medellíi, and Cartagena will offer programs that explore the genre from different perspectives while connecting it with Latin American musical traditions.
FestiJazz Mompox
One of the first events of the month will be FestiJazz Mompox 2026, scheduled for September 1–5 in Santa Cruz de Mompox, Bolivar, where it will pay tribute to Toto La Momposina. The colonial city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will once again serve as the setting for a celebration that combines music, culture, heritage, and gastronomy.
Concerts and activities will take place in emblematic locations such as Plaza de la Concepcion, Plaza de San Francisco, the courtyard of the San Juan de Dios Cloister, and the Magdalena River waterfront. The region’s historic architecture and landscape will provide the backdrop for a program bringing together national and international artists.
The musical lineup includes performers from countries such as Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, the United States, and Spain, along with Colombian groups from cities including Bogota, Medellin, Cali, and Barranquilla.
The festival also promotes a dialogue between jazz and traditional Colombian Caribbean music. Fusions with cumbia, porro, and bullerengue are part of a program designed to connect international sounds with the region’s musical roots.
@w_sax Así empezó a sonar el FestiJazz 2025 🥰🎷 #festijazz #festijazz2025 #festijazzmompox #festivaldejazz #festivaldejazzmompox ♬ sonido original – W_Sax
Jazz al Parque Returns to Bogota
Bogota will host one of the most important free events on the September agenda with Jazz al Parque 2026, taking place Sept. 12–13 at El Country Park. The festival’s 29th edition will focus on the dialogue between jazz and different Latin American musical traditions.
The international lineup will feature artists such as Arturo O’Farrill, Cimafunk, Iraida Noriega, Balta, and Uli Costa & Afrosambajazz. They will be joined by Colombian projects and artists from Bogota’s local music scene, creating a lineup that represents different generations and approaches to the genre.
The festival aims to demonstrate that Latin American jazz is not limited to reproducing traditional jazz structures, but can incorporate rhythms, instruments, and elements from different territories. Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia will be represented through a variety of musical projects.
As a free event designed for audiences of all ages, Jazz al Parque also serves as a cultural outreach initiative. For two days, El Country Park will become a meeting point for families, jazz enthusiasts, and people interested in discovering new musical expressions.
MedeJazz Celebrates 30 Years in Medellin
Medellin will also have a prominent place on September’s agenda with MedeJazz 2026, a festival celebrating three decades of history this year. The program will bring together musicians from Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela, and the Netherlands, while also offering educational activities for attendees.
Among the international guests is the Orquesta Aragon, one of Cuba’s most renowned musical ensembles, which will perform alongside the EAFIT Symphony Orchestra. Trumpeter Andres Hernandez, singer Joseph Amado, and Dutch project Michael Varekamp & The Legends will also take part.
The Colombian component will feature nine Antioquian groups, including ARZ Sexteto, Claudia Gomez, Faríbula, JS Ramirez Latin Jazz Quinteto, Kanajazz, Magangue Orchestra, MCO/MYTHOS, SH Jazz Project, and Shades of Blues.
The main activities will take place at the Gran Salon of Plaza Mayor and the SURA Stage at the Botanical Garden. In addition to concerts, MedeJazz will offer master classes, expanding its program to include education and exchange between musicians and audiences.
Cartagena Hosts the Voces del Jazz y del Caribe Festival
The jazz calendar will continue in Cartagena with the 13th Voces del Jazz y del Caribe Festival, whose main program will take place from September 23–26. The event will use the Teatro Adolfo Mejía as one of its principal venues and will offer free concerts to the public.
Before the main program begins, the festival will hold its official launch on Sept. 2 at the same theater. The event will feature Victoria Sur and Nicolás Ospina, who will present De la raíz al viento, a project exploring the relationship between Latin American songwriting and contemporary jazz.
This year’s edition will also feature international artists from Cuba, Puerto Rico, the United States, and Spain. They will be joined by musicians from Cartagena who work on combining jazz with different Caribbean rhythms.
The festival aims to highlight the development of jazz in Cartagena and its relationship with the region’s musical identity. The city’s heritage venues will provide an additional backdrop for a program that connects the architectural traditions of the Caribbean with contemporary sounds.
Bogota Adds Another Stop with the International Jazz Festival
The Colombian capital will have a second major jazz event with the 2026 Bogota International Jazz Festival, taking place from September 9–17 at the Teatro Colsubsidio.
The program includes six concerts featuring artists from different generations and backgrounds. Highlights include guitarist Al Di Meola, the Skokiaan Brass Band, the David Sánchez Quartet, the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, and the trio formed by Chano Domínguez, Javier Colina, and Guillermo McGill.
The program will also showcase Colombian musicians such as Harlinson Lozano Quinteto and Figaro’s Jazz Club, whose work incorporates influences from Pacific Colombian music and currulao.
With this wide range of events, September highlights the growth and diversity of Colombia’s jazz scene. From the colonial plazas of Mompox to Bogota’s parks, Cartagena’s theaters, and Medellin’s major cultural venues, jazz will be present across different regions, creating new connections between the genre and Latin American musical traditions.