Journey to Jazz, now entering its fourth year, has announced its final artist line-up for 2026 alongside the addition of two significant new venues. These new spaces underscore the festival’s growing artistic ambition and its deepening connection to community, heritage, and landscape.
The PACT centre in Noordeinde, situated on Botterblom Street, joins the festival’s footprint for the first time, while a striking site-specific performance in the Swartberg Mountain Pass returns as one of the festival’s most anticipated experiences.
The announcements were made at a special preview event in Prince Albert at the end of January, offering invited guests insight into a festival that has evolved from a boutique Karoo gathering into one of South Africa’s most thoughtful, place-responsive jazz events.
Community, Mentorship and the Karoo Jazz Project
Guests at the preview were also given a glimpse into how Paul Hanmer’s mentorship of the 2026 Karoo Jazz Project (KJP) is taking shape. Deeply rooted in regional collaboration, this year’s project brings together the KJP with the Laingsberg Brass Band, The George High School Band, and the Zwartberg High School Choir.
This emphasis on mentorship and collective music-making continues to sit at the heart of Journey to Jazz, reinforcing its long-term commitment to youth development and creative opportunity in the Karoo.
A Moment in the Mountains
The preview event concluded with an unforgettable unplugged performance by Zawadi Yamungu, staged deep within the Swartberg Pass. With wind, silence, and landscape becoming part of the composition, the performance evoked themes of ancestral memory and renewal — sweeping away the past while laying a foundation for what lies ahead.
A Landmark Collaboration: William Kentridge Films with Live Score
One of the most significant artistic highlights of Journey to Jazz 2026 is a special presentation of four short films by William Kentridge, accompanied by a live score performed by pianist and composer Kyle Shepherd.
The performance forms part of an ongoing creative collaboration between Kentridge and Shepherd, developed over several years across film, music, and stage. Drawing on jazz improvisation, indigenous musical elements, and contemporary composition, Shepherd’s score engages in real-time dialogue with Kentridge’s iconic charcoal animations, offering audiences an immersive and emotionally layered encounter.
Returning Voices and New Additions
Two important voices have been added to the 2026 programme. Jonathan Rubain returns to Journey to Jazz for a second appearance, bringing his deeply expressive blend of jazz, soul, and spiritual traditions. Donvino Prins also joins the line-up, known for his strong grounding in Cape jazz, spiritual jazz, and improvisation.
Cross-Border Collaboration with ¡Gracia!
Journey to Jazz 2026 continues its partnership with the Italian Institute of Culture through the presentation of ¡Gracia!, a contemporary Mediterranean trio featuring Anaïs Drago, Fausto Beccalossi, and Luca Falomi.
Rooted in Mediterranean folk traditions yet distinctly modern in expression, the project reflects the festival’s belief in creative exchange and cultural dialogue. ¡Gracia! debuted in Italy in 2025 and will culminate in a new album in spring 2026.
New Venues: Noordeinde and the Swartberg Pass
The PACT centre in Noordeinde becomes a vital new performance space in 2026, extending the festival into another part of Prince Albert and reinforcing its commitment to access, inclusion, and neighbourhood-based programming. Audiences can expect street-level jazz activations and vinyl culture events that weave music into everyday community life.
In a powerful nod to heritage and landscape, Journey to Jazz will once again return to the Swartberg Mountain Pass on Saturday, 2 May 2026, for a special site-specific performance that has quickly become a bucket-list experience for festivalgoers.
Vinyl Culture and the Custodians of Jazz
Recognising vinyl selectors as modern custodians of jazz culture, Journey to Jazz 2026 places renewed emphasis on listening culture, vinyl history, and sonic literacy.
Ntone Edjabe – sound stylist, writer, and founder of Chimurenga and the Pan African Space Station – will present two performances and participate in the festival’s talk programme, tracing the evolution of jazz in Africa.
He is joined by DJ Bob, whose acclaimed DJ Bob’s Jazz Club will take up residency at the PACT centre in Noordeinde, coinciding with International Jazz Day on 30 April 2026.
The activation includes vinyl listening sessions, DJ performances, a mini record market, and a hands-on workshop introducing the community to jazz DJ culture. Throughout the festival weekend, Church Street in Prince Albert will also host a series of pop-ups inviting audiences to reflect, move, and dance to the music.
Journey to Jazz 2026 Full Line-up
- Amy Campbell
- DJ Bob
- Donvino Prins
- ¡Gracia! (Drago – Falomi – Beccalossi)
- Karoo Jazz Project
- Kyle Shepherd | William Kentridge Films
- Linda Sikhakane and Paras Dlamini
- Nomfundo Xaluva
- Ntone Edjabe (DJ Set)
- Vusi Mahlasela
- Paul Hanmer
- Yonela Mnana and The Soultee Sisters
- Zawadi Yamungu
- Jonathan Rubain
Music With Purpose
Presented by the Prince Albert Community Trust (PACT), Journey to Jazz remains first and foremost a music festival – one that must succeed to sustain its broader social impact. Every ticket sold contributes directly to youth training, skills development, and opportunity creation across Prince Albert and the surrounding region.
With its 2026 artist line-up now complete, Journey to Jazz continues to distinguish itself through intimacy, integrity, and ambition, offering audiences not only exceptional music but a deeper connection to place, people, and purpose.
Festival Details
- Dates: 30 April – 3 May 2026
- Location: Prince Albert, Karoo, Western Cape
- Ticket Prices: Free – R250 per person
- Tickets: Available via Quicket
The festival’s annual Greet and Meet programme will be revealed later in February, adding even more ways to experience Prince Albert during the Journey to Jazz weekend.
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