Nice Jazz Fest returns to the Jardin Albert 1er from July 23 to 25, with a 2026 lineup built around Sting, Busta Rhymes and Lola Young, spread across three nights and two stages.
The festival, which grew out of the original Nice Jazz Festival first held in the 1940s, has broadened its programming well beyond straight jazz in recent years, this year mixing soul, funk and hip hop alongside international headliners and emerging acts. Organisers have not yet released the full day by day schedule, though the three names confirmed so far span three different generations of music, from Sting's decades in rock and jazz fusion to Lola Young's recent rise in British pop and soul.
The festival's return follows a busier run of Riviera music dates this month, with Jazz à Juan already underway in Antibes and Les Nuits du Sud opening in Vence, giving the region three overlapping festival programmes through the back half of July.
Picture ©Veran Julien - Ville de Nice