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Iowa City Jazz Festival Returns July 3-5, 2026

IOWA CITY, IA – Award-winning headliner ARTEMIS featuring Renee Rosnes, Ingrid Jensen, Nicole Glover, Noriko Ueda & Allison Miller, will perform on the Strauss Community Main Stage at 8:00 PM on Saturday, July 4th, 2026, as part of the Iowa City Jazz Festival. Summer of the Arts is thrilled to announce the dates for the 2026 Iowa City Jazz Festival, taking place July 3-5, 2026, in downtown Iowa City. This beloved summer tradition will once again bring three days of world-class jazz performances to the heart of the community—and admission is FREE for all.

This year’s festival will feature ARTEMIS, the powerhouse jazz quintet that has taken the jazz world by storm. Founded by renowned pianist and composer Renee Rosnes, ARTEMIS brings together five instrumental virtuosos: Rosnes on piano, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, saxophonist Nicole Glover, bassist Noriko Ueda, and drummer Allison Miller.

The group has won Jazz Group of the Year in the Downbeat Readers Poll for two consecutive years (2023 and 2024), and their performances have earned widespread acclaim. NPR praised them as “a killer line-up of players, composers and performers…who converge on an extremely cosmopolitan, sleek, rhythm-forward, modern sound.” The band will be touring in support of their third Blue Note Records album “Arboresque,” released in February 2025.

Full 2026 Festival Schedule

July 3, 2026

5:00 pm Culinary Delights and Beverage Garden on Iowa Avenue

5:00 pm David Donald Trio on the Oaknoll Stage

5:30 pm Artist Booths and Fun Stops on Clinton St.

6:00 pm Gabriel Espinosa’s Brazilian Project on the Strauss Community Stage

7:00 pm Hannah Claire on the Oaknoll Stage

8:00 pm Jonathan Scales Fourchestra on the Strauss Community Stage

9:30 pm Jam Session with the Blake Shaw Quartet at Wilder

July 4, 2026

11:00 am Culinary Delights on Iowa Avenue

11:30 am Artist Booths and Fun Stops on Clinton St.

11:30 am United Jazz Ensemble on the Strauss Community Stage

12:00 pm Beverage Garden @ Iowa Avenue

12:15 pm North Corridor Jazz on the Strauss Community Stage

1:00 pm Bear Cat Hot Club on the Oaknoll Stage

2:00 pm Mary Louise Knutson on the Strauss Community Stage

3:00 pm Kiefer & Co. on the Oaknoll Stage

4:00 pm The Howard Levy 4 on the Strauss Community Stage

5:00 pm Dakota Andersen Quartet on the Oaknoll Stage

6:00 pm Brass Queens on the Strauss Community Stage

7:00 pm Don Gustofson Jazz Ensemble on the Oaknoll Stage

8:00 pm Artemis featuring Renee Rosnes, Ingrid Jensen, Nicole Glover, Noriko Ueda & Allison Miller on the Strauss Community Stage

9:30 pm Iowa City Fireworks at Old Capitol Museum

10:00 pm Jam Session with the Blake Shaw Quartet at Wilder

July 5, 2026

10:00 am 2026 Jazz Brunch Fundraiser at the The University of Iowa School of Music – Voxman Building

12:00 pm Trio Grismore with Tim Crumly & Mitch Towne on the Oaknoll Stage

12:00 pm Artist Booths and Fun Stops on Clinton St.

12:00 pm Culinary Delights and Beverage Garden on Iowa Avenue

1:00 pm Saul Lubaroff’s Funk Outfit on the Strauss Community Stage

2:00 pm Ritmo Quinto on the Oaknoll Stage

3:00 pm Jackson Churchill and Good Question on the Strauss Community Stage

Festival Details:

When: July 3-5, 2026
Where: Downtown Iowa City, two stages
Cost: FREE admission
What to Bring: Blankets, lawn chairs, and your love of music

The weekend will showcase a diverse lineup of well-known jazz musicians alongside emerging talent, with performances in downtown Iowa City. In addition to outstanding music, attendees can browse artist and organization booths, sample delicious food offerings, and enjoy the festival’s lively beverage garden.

Stay tuned to www.summeroftheARTS.org for updates.

Important Planning Note:

With the Savannah Bananas baseball games scheduled for July 3 and 4 at Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City will be bustling with visitors that weekend. Festival attendees are strongly encouraged to book hotel accommodations early to ensure availability.

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KCCK’s Featured Album for May 2026

The KCCK Featured Album for May is “Forever Yours” by Chick Corea. The disc captures highlights from two solo-piano concerts given just four months before the jazz icon’s passing. The performances in Clearwater, Florida, would be the last public concerts Corea ever gave. The recordings stand as a deeply affecting goodbye and a definitive document of Corea’s solo piano experience. “Forever Yours” is from Candid Records. Purchase

Culture Crawl 1206 “’September’ is not on the program”

The Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale presents their final concert of the season, “Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water,” coming up May 2, 7:30pm at First Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids. Director Gerry Kreitzer is in the studio with the details plus a preview of the upcoming season.

Tickets are $18 (+fees) online and $23 in-person/day-of.

More info at crchorale.org.

Subscribe to The Culture Crawl at kcck.org/culture or search “Culture Crawl” in your favorite podcast player. Listen Live at 10:30am most weekdays on Iowa’s Jazz station. 88.3 FM or kcck.org/listen.

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2026 Guest DJs-Solon

Joli Sinnwell, Evann Freerks, Natalie Arthur, Owen Young

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Culture Crawl 1205 “Women Wear Pants All The Time Now”

Family Folk Machine’s Spring Concert, “Dreaming Iowa,” is coming up Saturday May 2, 3pm at the Englert Theatre. The program is made up of songs that reflect on the past, present, and future of Iowa while exploring themes of belonging. In the studio with the details is director of the group, Jean Littlejohn.

This concert is open and free to the public.

For more information visit familyfolkmachine.org.

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Culture Crawl 1204 “Hooking Up Space-X & Soyuz”

Orchestra Iowa teams up with Revival Theatre Company for “The Best of Broadway,” a show that will feature both regional and national talent singing songs from Le Miz, Wicked, Light in the Piazza, and many more. Tim Hankewich says combining a symphony orchestra with musical theatre presents more challenges than you might think!

One show only, May 2 at the Paramount Theatre. Tickets at artsiowa.com.

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Talking Pictures 4-29-26

“Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” (2026 R Horror/Supernatural) and a report on Eberfest 2026, including the film “Bob Trevino Likes It” (2024 PG-13 Hulu Comedy/Drama)