The Jazz in the Park festival announced new artists for its 2026 edition, including Grammy winner Arooj Aftab and Ghost-Note.

'The 14th edition of the festival brings new confirmations to the line-up for Jazz in the Park 2026: 2022 Grammy winner Arooj Aftab and Ghost-Note are among the international artists who will complete the vibrant atmosphere of this year's edition, scheduled between 5 and 7 June at the ‘Romulus Vuia' Ethnographic Park in Cluj-Napoca. Jazz lovers can still purchase discounted tickets until 16 April. Two- and three-day passes are already available, and from 17 April single-day tickets will also go on sale,' according to a press release the festival organisers sent on Tuesday.

According to the source, following the first line-up announcement, which included major names such as Lisa Simone (daughter of the legendary Nina Simone), Marcos Valle, Venna and many others, the festival returns with a second wave of international and Romanian confirmations.

Arooj Aftab, winner of several Grammy Awards, including at the 64th edition in 2022, becoming the first Pakistani artist to win a Grammy, and known for her refined fusion of jazz, classical music and traditional Pakistani influences, will bring an introspective and profound atmosphere, perfect for summer evenings in Cluj.

In contrast, Ghost-Note will energise the stage with vibrant funk rhythms and percussive jazz, delivering a show full of energy and improvisation that will perfectly complement the festival's musical diversity.

The international stage will also feature special collaborations, such as that between Ola Onabule and the Transylvania Jazz Ensemble, while London Elektricity will be a special guest as part of the takeover organised by Quite Lucky. They will be joined by Ziggy Zeitgeist, Sha and Jeremias Keller.

The local scene will be represented by established artists and fresh projects such as Vlad Dobrescu & The Jam Community, Implant pentru Refuz (Acoustic), A-C Leonte, Vita de Vie (Acoustic), Platonic Band, as well as DJ sets by Andi Moisescu, Bianca Oance and DJ Bully.

'For 13 years we have made a bet with the Cluj audience: you come without expectations and leave with new artists in your playlist. This year, the line-up is built on the same promise, only we have raised the stakes. We had the confidence to bring very good artists who are not yet that well known in Romania. Yet we are bringing to Cluj the first Pakistani Grammy-winning artist, whose album made it into Obama's playlist. Also, a supergroup of 10 musicians who have performed with Prince, Kendrick Lamar and Herbie Hancock, as well as Nina Simone's daughter and Vita de Vie Acoustic, which celebrates 30 years and has been part of our family since the first edition. If you have not yet heard of all of them, even better: that is exactly why we exist,' founder of the event Alin Vaida is quoted in the release as saying.

Jazz in the Park won the title of Europe's Best Small Festival at the European Festival Awards and is supported by Cluj-Napoca City Hall and Local Council. The project is organised by Fapte, an organisation dedicated to developing people and communities through cultural events. It is also behind initiatives such as Jazz in the Park, Jazz in the Park Competition, Music Gallery and Edison House of Music.

Since 2018, Jazz in the Park has been a member of the Europe Jazz Network, and since 2020 it has been part of the European Festivals Association, Yourope, thus connecting the local jazz scene to the European festival network. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Marius Septimiu Avram; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)