The 2026 Taichung Jazz Festival takes place from October 16 to 25 at Civic Square, marking the 22nd edition of the city’s major jazz celebration. This year’s festival is themed “When Giants Play”, bringing 23 performances over 10 days and featuring musicians from Taiwan and around the world. The “giants” in this year’s theme represent more than internationally renowned jazz masters. They also symbolize musical heritage, innovation, and breakthroughs across generations. This year, musicians from different countries and generations are gathering in Taichung, bringing the sounds of the world together in the city. Residents and jazz fans from across Taiwan are invited to enjoy this autumn jazz celebration.

The Cultural Affairs Bureau said the festival opened on October 17 with Italian jazz guitar master Alessio Menconi Trio, followed by “Taiwan’s King of Drums”, Rich Huang, teaming up with Golden Melody Award-winning Taiwanese-language singer Siri Lee, bringing jazz improvisation together with Taiwanese vocals. This year, Rich Huang was also working with two Golden Melody Award-winning divas from different language backgrounds, presenting two different programs, one outdoors and one indoors. On October 18, he led the Formosa Jazz Band and collaborated with Golden Melody Award-winning Indigenous singer Usay Kawlu in the ticketed concert “Echoes Across Time”. From Taiwanese to Indigenous vocals, the performances opened up jazz dialogues in different musical languages.

The Cultural Affairs Bureau added that the 10-day program features musicians active on today’s jazz scene who have earned international recognition, while also paying musical tribute to timeless classics. These include centennial tribute programs for John Coltrane and Miles Davis, as well as works that reach beyond jazz by reimagining classical giant Bach and classic Japanese animation through the language of jazz. A giant can be a musician standing on stage today. It can also be a sound that travels through time and continues to be reinterpreted by the next generation. In this way, “When Giants Play” becomes a dialogue between the classic and the contemporary.

This year’s stage brings together musicians from Italy, Japan, Cuba, Canada, and other countries. A music group from Taiwan’s diplomatic ally, Saint Kitts and Nevis, has also been invited to join, opening cultural exchange through music. From fusion jazz and Latin rhythms to Taiwanese-language music, Indigenous vocals, strings, electronic sounds, and dance, voices from different places and cultures come together in Taichung, turning Civic Square into an urban stage where world music meets.

In addition to the main stage at Civic Square, this year’s festival also extends the listening experience through indoor ticketed concerts. On October 23, “The New Sound” will feature JUNO Award winner Jocelyn Gould from Canada leading her quartet. Moving from the open lawn with tens of thousands of listeners to an intimate indoor performance, the concert lets fans experience a different side of jazz and a closer listening distance.

The 2026 Taichung Jazz Festival will continue through October 25. From classics left by giants of earlier generations to new sounds being created by today’s musicians, jazz continues to unfold between tradition and change. Residents and jazz fans from across Taiwan are invited to come to Civic Square and meet their own “jazz giants” during this 10-day musical journey. For more event information, 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).