Artists to look out for at London Jazz Festival 2026, from the Muslim world and beyond
The country’s premier celebration of improvisation and musical virtuosity is back with a packed lineup
Running from 13 to 22 November, the 34th edition of the EFG London Jazz Festival will bring more than 300 performances to venues across the capital. The year 2026 is a big one for jazz, marking the centenary of the births of pioneers Miles Davis and John Coltrane, both of whom are being celebrated at several festival shows. Closer to home, the vanguard of British jazz will be showcased by local artists, while the global scene will be represented in a lineup that takes in everything from the South Asian classical tradition to Palestinian ney music and improvised Iranian percussion. Here are 10 performances from the Muslim world and beyond to look out for.
Coltrane 100 – Barbican, 13 November
Kicking off proceedings with a tribute to one of jazz music’s most revered artists, this all-star concert reimagines the repertoire of saxophonist John Coltrane with a lineup including tenor saxophonists Joe Lovano and Melissa Aldana, South African pianist Nduduzo Makhathini, bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts. Expect radical reinterpretations of Coltrane classics such as Giant Steps and Naima, as well as journeys into his later, more experimental work. For those looking to celebrate the other great centenary of 2026, the birth of trumpeter Miles Davis, British multi-instrumentalist, composer and singer Emma-Jean Thackray performs her Love Letter to Miles Davis show on the same day, 13 November, at Earth Theatre.
Tarana – Southbank Centre, 14 November
Part of the festival’s free programme, which takes place at the Southbank Centre’s Clore Ballroom and the Foyer of the Barbican, this all-day lineup platforms three boundary-pushing South Asian artists who each incorporate jazz into their explorations of classical tradition. Percussionist Anmol Mohara takes influence from fusion artists such as Trilok Gurtu in improvising through tabla and dholak, while fusion band Urvashi draws on qawwali tradition, and bassist Shri Sriram will perform new takes on his jazz standard, drum’n’bass and electronica-inspired music with the specially created 40-person EFG London Jazz Festival Community Jazz Orchestra.
Faris Ishaq – Stone Nest, 14 November
Palestinian virtuoso of the ney reed flute Faris Ishaq performs an intimate in-the-round exploration of his latest album, Jasad. Playing alongside a frame drum, Ishaq’s minimalist show seeks to highlight the power of his ancient instrument and the intricate melodies and harmonies that can be produced simply by blowing through a single reed. Interweaving dabke rhythm with Arabic classical maqam melodies and jazz phrasing, Ishaq’s mastery of the ney is a feat to behold.
L’Antidote + Naissam Jalal & Roberto Negro – Cadogan Hall, 14 November
Cross-cultural trio L’Antidote open this journeying double bill with their combination of Iranian percussion with jazz double bass and piano. Comprising Iranian percussionist Bijan Chemirani, Albanian cellist Redi Hasa and French-Lebanese pianist Rami Khalifé, the group will play music from their 2025 self-titled debut album, which draws on everything from maqam to chamber music and ambience. Flautist Naissam Jalal joins forces with pianist Roberto Negro in the second half to perform music from Jalal’s Landscapes of Eternity project, which was inspired by her travels around North India and her immersion in Hindustani classical music and spiritual traditions.
Duo Safar – Kings Place, 15 November
Violinist and composer Zied Zouari and percussionist Imed Alibi perform repertoire from their 2014 album Safar, which blends Arabic classical music with classical composition, jazz improvisation and lyrical melody. Through the unusual pairing of strings and percussion, the duo develop complex polyrhythm and expressive harmonics, bringing the concert hall setting of Kings Place to life and embodying a sense of musical journeying, which is also the meaning of their album’s Arabic title.
Anouar Brahem – Barbican, 15 November
Oud pioneer Anouar Brahem is a regular performer at the festival. For 2026 he returns with a poignant new project, After the Last Sky, which is inspired by a line of verse from Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish: “Where should the birds fly, after the last sky?” Accompanied by pianist Django Bates, cellist Anja Lechner and double bassist Mats Eilertsen, Brahem’s show is sure to unfurl emotively through rich string arrangements, Arabic classical melody and a deeply rooted sense of jazz swing. An unmissable chance to catch a master at work.
Dave Okumu and Friends – Union Chapel, 15 November
British multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Dave Okumu performed an impromptu and devastatingly moving tribute to D’Angelo at east London’s Church of Sound, following the soul singer’s untimely death in 2025. Expanding that project to encompass tributes to other foundational artists including Nina Simone, Prince and Sly Stone, Okumu will be accompanied by a 20-person choir and a band of the city’s top session musicians for this show at north London’s magisterial Union Chapel. Expect tears of both sorrow and joy.
Sam Gendel & Sam Wilkes – Union Chapel, 17 November
Representing the genre-agnostic fringes of the Los Angeles improvisational scene, saxophonist Sam Gendel and bassist Sam Wilkes have spent the best part of the past decade releasing experimental records that veer from fragmented postmodernist compositions to hip-hop, soul and R&B instrumentals. Coming together for a rare British live performance, the duo will be sure to play an unpredictable range of wordless and fiendishly layered arrangements touching on the repertoire from their four collaborative albums to date.
Church of Sound British Jazz Songbook – Barbican, 20 November
Celebrating the rich yet somewhat overlooked history of British jazz, east London performance series Church of Sound has curated a lineup of homegrown artists to pay homage to the British music from 1965 to 1975 created by composers including Ian Carr, Stan Tracey and Mike Westbrook. Considered a “golden age” of British jazz, this decade-long period departed from the fusion-led American standard into a modernist British take. It will now be reimagined by a crop of contemporary UK-based players including percussionist Sarathy Korwar, bassist Daniel Casimir and vocalist Norma Winstone.
Emma Rawicz – Kings Place, 21 November
If the Church of Sound show looks back to the legacy of British jazz, this performance on the final weekend of the festival celebrates the bright future of the nation’s improvisatory tradition. London-based saxophonist Emma Rawicz leads her Cloudwalker quartet in an exploration of downtempo Nordic jazz, Brazilian rhythms and contemporary classical arrangement, all tied together in her powerful horn tone and sprightly, nimble compositions. A future star who is already fast on the rise.
