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Jan. 20, 2026
—Switzerland’s Montreux festival will kick off its upcoming Miami edition at the Miami Beach Bandshell featuring the Miles Davis Centennial Celebration and Makaya McCraven —
Miami Beach, FL – The famed Montreux Jazz Festival will open its 2026 Miami installment at the Miami Beach Bandshell with two nights of programming on Wednesday, Feb. 25 and Thursday, Feb. 26. The festival begins Wednesday with a centennial salute to legendary jazz trumpeter, band leader and composer Miles Davis, and continues Thursday with a performance by visionary drummer, producer and composer Makaya McCraven, presented in association with Rhythm Foundation and Brainville. The performances mark the most important expansion of the Switzerland-based festival since its debut in Miami-Dade County three years ago and will grow the festival to five nights of music, continuing through Sunday, March 1.
“The Montreux Jazz Festival is one of the most important jazz festivals in the world, and we are honored to welcome this prestigious event to our city for the first time,” said Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner. “This expansion is a clear indication that Miami Beach has become a premier global stage where history, culture, and world-class arts meet.”
A centerpiece of the global celebrations marking the Miles Davis Centennial, the Wednesday night Miami Beach performance will honor one of the most influential artists in music history. Miles Davis performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland 10 times between 1973 and 1991, with his final appearance immortalized in the landmark recording “Miles & Quincy: Live at Montreux.” That legacy now extends to Miami Beach through a once-in-a-lifetime tribute featuring the Miles Electric Band (M.E.B.) led by Miles Davis’s nephew, drummer Vince Wilburn Jr., alongside the Kind of Blue Acoustic Band. Featuring Miles Davis alumni, the Kind of Blue Acoustic Band will perform music from “Kind of Blue,” widely regarded as one of the greatest and best-selling jazz albums of all time.
On Thursday, Feb. 26, the celebration at the Bandshell continues with Makaya McCraven, a "beat scientist" and cultural synthesizer whose work dissolves the boundaries between jazz, hip-hop, and electronic music. McCraven’s performance underscores the festival’s commitment to showcasing both the legends of jazz history and the genre’s future innovators.
“Montreux Jazz Festival doesn’t expand lightly,” said Miami Beach Commissioner Alex J. Fernandez who championed bringing the festival to Miami Beach. “Over the past year, we’ve been intentionally courting Montreux and working to make Miami Beach a place worthy of its extraordinary legacy. Montreux doesn’t just choose cities — it chooses cultural partners. This festival represents the highest level of artistic excellence — the kind that defines global cities and strengthens Miami Beach’s cultural brand for years to come.”
The third annual Montreux Jazz Festival Miami is an extension of the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival, now in its 60th year — held over two weeks every summer in Switzerland on the shores of Lake Geneva and drawing nearly 250,000 spectators each year. The upcoming Miami event will feature additional performances in The Hangar at Regatta Grove Coconut Grove by seven-time GRAMMY and Academy Award-winner Jon Batiste as well as Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and GRAMMY-winning producer Nile Rodgers and CHIC; six-time GRAMMY-winning pop-rock icons TOTO; Colombian electro-tropical innovators Bomba Estéreo; Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue; Cuban percussionist and singer Pedrito Martinez; French-Caribbean soul-funk bassist and vocalist Adi Oasis among others.
“Montreux Jazz Festival has always stood for musical excellence, unique experiences, and cultural exchange,” shared Jeremy Arditi, Co-Founder of Montreux Jazz Festival Miami. "Partnering with the City of Miami Beach — while honoring the legendary Miles Davis at the centennial of his birth — is deeply aligned to the festival’s history and marks a defining moment for the festival's evolution in South Florida.”
Created in 1967 by Claude Nobs and directed by Mathieu Jaton since 2013, the Montreux Jazz Festival has featured such performers as Etta James, Quincy Jones, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Lauryn Hill, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, James Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Leonard Cohen, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, Nina Simone and many more. In addition to its iconic annual event, the Montreux Jazz Festival has exported its unique expertise and ambiance to cities worldwide for over 50 years. From São Paulo to Detroit, Atlanta to Singapore, Monaco to Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro to Suzhou and now Miami Beach.
Tickets for Montreux Jazz Festival Miami begin at $49 for the opening night in Miami Beach and in Coconut Grove at $139, with VIP tickets at $399 and Legend tickets at $699. Tickets can be purchased at www.mjfmiami.com. Discounted tickets for the Wednesday, Feb. 25 performances at the Miami Beach Beach Bandshell are available for Miami Beach residents only. Use code: MIAMIBEACH. Must show proof of residency.
This event is also made possible with support from the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.
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