Six Sundays. Six Musical Journeys. One Extraordinary Summer
This summer, you won’t need a passport to experience the world.
Through music, downtown Buffalo becomes a dance hall, a Parisian café, a Latin plaza, an Italian concert hall, the streets of New Orleans, and finally, the vibrant sounds of Brazil.
What makes a summer one for the memory books?
It’s rarely just the events.
It’s the experiences.
An afternoon where strangers become friends.
A familiar song that inspires people to dance.
A table filled with conversation and laughter.
A downtown street transformed by music.
Those are the moments that stay with us.
That is the vision behind this year’s Summer of Jazz.
Presented by ArtsBuffalo, JazzBuffalo, Tappo Restaurant, the Electric District Alliance, and our community partners, Summer of Jazz is transforming Ellicott Street into something much more than a performance venue.
It is becoming Buffalo’s gathering place.
A place where music brings people together, cultures meet, friendships grow, and every event offers a new experience.
Summer of Jazz isn’t a concert series.
It’s six invitations to gather.
An invitation to rediscover downtown Buffalo.
An invitation to spend an afternoon with family and friends.
An invitation to experience the world through music.
Each Sunday offers a different destination.
Together, they tell one story:
Music has an extraordinary power to bring people together.
Big Band Dance
Featuring the Anderson Big Band
The journey begins on Sunday, July 12.
Led by acclaimed drummer, arranger, and JazzBuffalo Poll Jazz Artist of the Year John Anderson, the Anderson Big Band opens Summer of Jazz with the timeless sounds of the Swing Era and the Great American Songbook.
This is more than a concert.
It’s an afternoon of dancing.
Of smiles.
Of neighbors becoming friends.
Whether you’re on the dance floor or simply enjoying the music from a nearby table, everyone becomes part of the experience.
A Taste of Paris
Featuring Hot Club of Buffalo
Two weeks later, we travel across the Atlantic.
The cafés of Paris and the spirit of Django Reinhardt come alive as Hot Club of Buffalo fills Ellicott Street with the romance, virtuosity, and irresistible swing of gypsy jazz.
Close your eyes.
You just might feel as though you’ve stepped onto a Parisian sidewalk café.
Latin Rhythms
Featuring the Wendell Rivera Latin Jazz Ensemble
On August 9, the vibrant sounds of Latin jazz transform downtown Buffalo into an afternoon of celebration.
Rich percussion.
Passionate melodies.
Irresistible grooves.
Music that invites people to move, smile, and discover why Latin jazz has become one of the world’s most joyful musical traditions.
Voci d’Amore
Inspired by the Music of Andrea Bocelli
Our musical journey continues with an unforgettable celebration of timeless song.
Featuring the extraordinary voices of Jay Dref and Carolyn Lansom, accompanied by an exceptional quartet, Voci d’Amore celebrates the music that has inspired audiences around the world.
Inspired by the beloved songs of Andrea Bocelli, the afternoon blends classical elegance with timeless melodies, reminding us that beautiful music transcends genres, generations, and borders.
A Taste of New Orleans
Featuring the Fredtown Stompers
Then we travel to the birthplace of jazz.
The joyful spirit of New Orleans comes alive as the Fredtown Stompers celebrate the traditional jazz that gave birth to America’s greatest musical art form.
It’s music made for clapping hands.
Smiling faces.
Second-line rhythms.
And gathering together.
Brazil Comes to Buffalo
The 5th Annual Buffalo Jazz Festival
The musical journey reaches its joyful conclusion on Sunday, September 6, as the 5th Annual Buffalo Jazz Festival welcomes Tres Mais featuring five-time Grammy nominee Karrin Allyson.
Together they celebrate the timeless music of Brazil, bringing to life the songs of legendary composers including Antônio Carlos Jobim, Ivan Lins, João Donato, and others whose music forever changed the landscape of jazz.
It is a fitting finale.
A celebration of one of the world’s richest musical traditions.
A celebration of Buffalo’s growing jazz community.
A celebration of everything Summer of Jazz represents.
Each gathering offers a different destination.
Each destination celebrates a different musical tradition.
Yet together they tell one story.
Music has an extraordinary way of bringing the world together.
This summer…
It also brings Buffalo together.
At ArtsBuffalo and JazzBuffalo, we believe music has the power to strengthen a city.
Not because it changes buildings.
Because it changes how we experience them.
A downtown street becomes a dance floor.
A Parisian café.
A Latin plaza.
An Italian concert hall.
A New Orleans celebration.
The vibrant sounds of Brazil.
In every great city, there are places where people naturally come together.
This summer, we hope Ellicott Street becomes one of those places.
A place where music fills the air.
Where old friends reconnect.
Where new friendships begin.
Where visitors discover Buffalo.
Where neighbors become a community.
Where our city grows just a little stronger because we chose to gather together.
That is the promise of the Summer of Jazz.
That is what we’re building together.
One gathering.
One neighborhood.
One extraordinary summer at a time.
We hope you’ll join us.
Come for one afternoon.
Come for all six.
Bring your family.
Bring your friends.
Dance if you’re inspired.
Listen if you prefer.
Most of all…
Become part of a community that believes music has the power to connect us, inspire us, and help shape the future of our city.
Because every great city needs places where people gather.
And every summer deserves moments we’ll remember long after the music ends.
Summer of Jazz 2026
Sunday, July 12
Big Band Dance
Featuring the Anderson Big Band
Sunday, July 26
A Taste of Paris
Featuring Hot Club of Buffalo
Sunday, August 9
Latin Rhythms
Featuring the Wendell Rivera Latin Jazz Ensemble
Sunday, August 16
Voci d’Amore
Inspired by the Music of Andrea Bocelli
Sunday, August 23
A Taste of New Orleans
Featuring the Fredtown Stompers
Sunday, September 6
Brazil Comes to Buffalo
The 5th Annual Buffalo Jazz Festival
Headlined by Tres Mais featuring five-time Grammy nominee Karrin Allyson
All Summer of Jazz events take place on Sundays from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Ellicott Street in downtown Buffalo and are free and open to the public. The 5th Annual Buffalo Jazz Festival takes place on Sunday, September 6, from 12:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
Presented by ArtsBuffalo, JazzBuffalo, Tappo Restaurant, the Electric District Alliance, and our community partners.
JazzBuffalo: Where Buffalo Gathers for Jazz.
