Each June, Madison comes together to enjoy a weeklong celebration of jazz, featuring local, regional,and national acts. Presented by the Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT) and Arts + Literature Laboratory, the Madison Jazz Festival finale weekend happens at the Memorial Union Terrace with free performances, in addition to other Jazz Fest events throughout the city.
In 2026, Jazz Fest will take place from June 19 to June 27, with free headlining performances by Nate Smithon June 26 and Wycliffe Gordon on June 27. Before the big week, get to know our headliners and some of the other awesome acts you can see at the Terrace during the finale of the 2026 Madison Jazz Festival.
Nate Smith
Virtuosic drummer, bandleader and composer Nate Smith has collaborated and toured with a range of artists, including Brittany Howard, Pat Metheny, Childish Gambino, and Norah Jones. He was the drummer for the “Late Night with Seth Meyers” house band and co-wrote and produced "Heaven Can Wait" for Michael Jackson.
In February 2026, he won two Grammy Awards, the Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Arrangement, Instruments, And Vocals, for his album “Live Action”. His award-winning collaborative song “Big Fish” features the vocal quartet säje, while the album also features rapper JSWISS, guitarists Charlie Hunter and Lionel Loueke, and vocalists Jermaine Holmes and Lalah Hataway. Nate Smith was also recently named artistic director of the Newport Jazz Festival, becoming the third person to hold that title in the festival’s 72-year history.
Downbeat says, “if you’re looking to satisfy your groove craving, look no further.”
Catch him live with bassist CARRTOONS, keyboardist and synthesizer artist Julian "J3PO" Pollack and trumpeter Marquis Hill at the Terrace at 8:30 p.m. on June 26.
Wycliffe Gordon
Celebrated jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and arranger Wycliffe Gordon was named “Trombonist of the Year” an unprecedented 15 times by the Jazz Journalists Association. He is a veteran member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet and an original member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. NPR fans will be excited to learn he arranged the theme song for NPR’s “All Things Considered.”
Gordon is particularly revered for his mastery of the plunger mute, which you can see on full display in his trombone solo in “Sweet Louisiana.”
Gordon has his own line of Wycliffe Gordon Pro Signature Mouthpieces by Pickett Brass, plus a plunger mute, the “Cone Tone,” by Hirschman Mutes.
His Jazz Fest performance will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on June 27 on the UW Credit Union Summer Stage.
Other Exciting Acts to see at the Memorial Union Terrace:
Canção
One of our beloved local Madison acts, Canção is a bossa nova project by Madison-based vocalist Betsy Ezell, featuring Nicholas Bartell, Richard Hildner, Nick Moran, Chris Rottmayer and Wayne Salzmann II.
Bossa nova is a Brazilian take on jazz, dating back to 1950s Rio de Janeiro. Known for its relaxed and breezy blending of samba with jazz influences, this style of music will transport you to the tropical beaches of Brazil for an afternoon. Experience Canção at 4:30 p.m. on June 26.
DLO3 (Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio)
Founded in Seattle in 2015, the trio’s debut album, “Close But No Cigar,” hit number one on the U.S. Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. Bandleader Delvon Lamarr is a Hammond B-3 organist who produces a sound that blends funk, jazz and soul. Catch this performance at the Terrace at 6:30 p.m. on June 26.
Ghost-Note
Our student programming committee, the Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee, saw a live performance of Ghost-Note and knew they had to be part of the Festival.
Led by Snarky Puppy’s Grammy–winning percussion duo Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth, Ghost-Note is “pushing funk music into the future.”
They’ll keep the party going from 9-10:30 p.m. on June 27.
Alysha Brilla Trio
Songwriter, composer and vocalist Alysha Brilla transfixes audiences with her kaleidoscopic blend of soul, folk and world beats, according to The Rolling Stone. She’s joined by Sammy Duke and Jamaican reggae percussion royalty Gerima Harvey.
With past performances at the Montreal Jazz Festival and Los Angeles’ Legacy Blues & Jazz Festival, they bring chill vibes for a breezy afternoon before the sun goes down and the heat turns upat 2 p.m. on June 27.
Endea Owens and the Cookout
Endea Owners, a Detroit-raised bassist, got her big break in 2018 as a member of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” house band, Stay Human, led by Jon Batiste. Since then, she has performed with Wynton MarsalisDee Dee Bridgewater and more. The Terrace gets cookin’ with Endea at 5 p.m. on June 27.
Learn more about Jazz Fest, and check out the full Terrace lineup.