The 2026 Taichung Jazz Festival is almost here! The Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taichung City Government held a press conference on October 8, offering a first look at this year’s exciting lineup and event highlights. Now in its 22nd year, the Taichung Jazz Festival returns under the theme “When Giants Play”. From October 16 to 25, the festival will present 23 performances over 10 days at Taichung Civic Square, bringing together international musicians from the United States, Japan, Italy, South Korea, and beyond, along with jazz talents from different generations in Taiwan. From classic jazz and contemporary works to cross-genre collaborations, “jazz giants” of different generations and cultural backgrounds will gather in Taichung.

Cultural Affairs Bureau Director Chia-Chun Chen said this year’s main stage international lineup spans countries and generations, including Italian jazz guitarist Alessio Menconi, legendary Japanese fusion jazz band T-SQUARE, Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodríguez, and British saxophonist and contemporary African Jazz representative Kevin Haynes, who will close the festival. Together, they show the many faces of jazz across generations, regions, and styles. The Taiwan lineup is just as strong. “Taiwan’s King of Drums”, Rich Huang, will present two different programs this year, one outdoors and one indoors. On the main stage, he will team up with Golden Melody Award-winning Taiwanese-language singer Siri Lee, bringing jazz together with the distinctive voice of Taiwanese-language music. The next day, in the ticketed concert “Echoes Across Time”, he will lead the Formosa Jazz Band and collaborate with Golden Melody Award-winning Indigenous singer Usay Kawlu. Working with two Golden Melody Award-winning divas from different language backgrounds, he will create two completely different jazz dialogues through different lineups and musical vocabularies.

The Cultural Affairs Bureau added that beyond the main stage at Taichung Civic Square, this year’s jazz map will continue to expand into the city. Three ticketed concerts will take place at Morning Dew Hall, the performance space of Morning Dew Culture and Arts Foundation. From Taichung giants and Asian giants to world giants, these concerts will offer a listening experience that brings audiences closer to the musicians and the details of the music. The festival will also work with urban venues such as InterContinental Taichung and OKU Hotel to launch industry touring performances, bringing jazz from the outdoor lawn into hotels and everyday city life. At the same time, more than 100 partner restaurants, hotels, and cultural and creative shops are joining the festival, offering exclusive deals for music fans through the official LINE account. The festival becomes more than a music event. It becomes a city journey through Taichung.

At this year’s press conference, the Taichung Youth Jazz Orchestra also performed the annual theme song “Field Day in Taichung.” The piece interprets “Field Day” as a day to go outdoors, move freely, and gather with joy. The city becomes an open field where people meet in Taichung and music comes alive. It echoes the city scene that returns every autumn, when music fans gather on the grass to share jazz together. Even more meaningful, the piece was composed by Li-Yang Hsu, a former member of the Taichung Youth Jazz Orchestra, and performed and recorded by this year’s students. A young musician who once learned jazz in this city has now taken the baton and written a new sound for the festival, continuing Taichung’s long-standing commitment to jazz education and musical legacy.

Since its launch in 2003, the Taichung Jazz Festival has grown over more than two decades and now enters its 22nd edition. From international masters on stage and cross-genre dialogues among Taiwanese musicians to youth talent development and citywide venue connections, the festival hopes to make jazz not only something that happens on stage, but something that becomes part of Taichung’s city life. From October 16 to 25, music fans from across Taiwan are invited to gather once again at Taichung Civic Square and welcome “When Giants Play” in Taichung’s beautiful autumn season. For more information on jazz touring performances, ticketed concerts, and offers from partner shops, please visit the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taichung City Government website (https://www.culture.taichung.gov.tw), the Taichung Culture Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TaichungCulture), or the Taichung Jazz Festival Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/taichungJAZZfestival).