Budapest Jazz Club swings into 2026 with a packed calendar of live shows, international headliners, and late-night jam sessions at its concert hall at 1136 Budapest, District 13, 7 Hollán Ernő Street (Hollán Ernő u. 7.). The venue pairs a nostalgic café and a modern bistro with top-tier sound and lighting. Evening concerts kick off at 20:00, while the wildly popular jam sessions run Tuesday to Saturday from 22:00. The organizers reserve the right to change dates and programs, so keep an eye on updates.
Opening Highlights
May 9 fires on all cylinders: MÁV Symphony Orchestra (MÁV Szimfonikusok) presents Music – Space – Image: Percussion (Zene – Tér – Kép: Ütőhangszerek), Studio11 Evenings hosts the Studio11 Ensemble with Tibor Kocsis (Kocsis Tibor), and the Free BJC Jam Session spotlights the Károly Gáspár Trio (Gáspár Károly Trió). The momentum continues May 10 with Bartók Conservatory Jazz Department – Serenade (Bartók Konzi Jazz Tanszak – Szerenád) and May 11 with the Péter Sárik Trio featuring Koszika (Sárik Péter Trio).
Signature Voices and Jam Culture
May delivers Nikoletta Szőke: Gypsy Queen Live (Szőke Nikoletta Gipsy Queen Live) (May 12), LFZE Open Jam with the Gergő Tóth Quartet (Tóth Gergő Quartet) (May 12), Wednesday Open Jam led by Iván Nagy: Classic Jam (Nagy Iván Classic Jam) (May 13), and BudaTeher Jazz Night: Red Stones (Budateher Jazz Est) (May 13). The BJC Café Jam hosts Sándor Molnár & Friends (Molnár Sándor & Friends) (May 14), while NMK showcases the Elemér Balázs Group (Balázs Elemér Group) (May 14). The Harmónia Jazz Workshop (Harmónia Jazzműhely) curates the Tacet Jazz Quintet (May 15) and the Attila László Quintet (László Attila Quintet) (May 16), with free jam sessions by the János Egri Trio (Egri János Trio) (May 15) and the Péter Pintér Trio (Pintér Péter Trio) (May 16).
Big Bands, Exams, and Festivals
Papageno Jazz Night (Papageno Jazz Est) brings the BJC Big Band (May 18), alongside Liszt Academy (Liszt Ferenc Academy) exam concerts (May 18, 20; June 1–4). All In Jam Fest runs May 19–23, flanked by the Gábor Farkas Quintet’s The Best Is Yet To Come (Farkas Gábriel Quintet) (May 19) and the László Halper Quintet featuring Roby Lakatos (Halper László Quintet) (May 20). Radiocafé introduces Groovus (May 21). The marquee international: May 22 welcomes world stars CHRIS POTTER TRIO (USA) with Matt Brewer and Kendrick Scott. Later: the Gábor “Tojás” Horváth Trio (Horváth Tojás Gábor Trio) (May 23), RANDOM Musical Night 10 (RANDOM Musical Est 10.) (May 24).
Late-May to June Deep Cuts
The Harmónia Jazz Workshop spotlights Stargazers – wind talents (Csillagvizsgálók – wind talents) (May 25). PORT.hu Jazz Night (PORT.HU Jazz Est) doubles down with Budapest Bossa Nova (Budapest Bossanova) (May 26, 30), plus LFZE Open Jam: Ákos Pálinkás Trio (Pálinkás Ákos Trio) (May 26). Wednesday Open Jam flips to the Károly Gáspár Trio (Gáspár Károly Trio) (May 27); ALERANT Jazz Night (ALERANT Jazz Est) features the Zita Gereben Quintet (Gereben Zita Quintet) (May 27). FIDELIO Jazz Night pairs Edina Mókus Szirtes & János “Yancha” Nagy Duo (Szirtes Edina Mókus & Nagy János Yancha Duo) (May 28), and BJC Café Jam hosts the Gábor Juhász Trio (Juhász Gábor Trio) (May 28). The Egressy Jazz Department year-end concert lands May 28. Celebrate Miles Davis’s centenary with an All Stars set (May 29) and a free jam with the Attila Rieger Trio (Rieger Attila Trio). Vladimir Cetkar (North Macedonia) arrives May 30; Iván Nagy Classic Jam leads a free session that night. The Budapest Jazz Orchestra closes May with Big Band Highlights (May 31).
June Groove
June stacks LFZE diploma concerts (June 1–4), open jams with the Szabolcs Horváth Trio (Horváth Szabolcs Trio) (June 2), the Attila Rieger Trio (June 3), and café nights with the Gézu Jónás Trio (Jónás Gézu Trio) (June 4). Harmónia presents Four Seasons (Négy Évszak) (June 5) plus free jams with the József Balázs Trio (Balázs József Trio) (June 5) and the Noémi Nagy Quartet (Nagy Noémi Quartet) (June 6). Papageno showcases the Orsi Urbán Group (Urbán Orsi Group) (June 6). The calendar adds the Kővirágok Singing School Gala (Kővirágok Énekiskola Gala) (June 7), Bartók Conservatory year-end exam shows (Bartók Konzi) (June 8, 18–19), Voice & Guitar: Myrtill Micheller & Tibor Pintér Duo (Micheller Myrtill & Pintér Tibor Duo) (June 9), BudaTeher Jazz Night: Gina Kanizsa – Vocalese (Budateher Jazz Est: Kanizsa Gina – Vocalese) (June 10), FIDELIO: Balázs Bágyi New Quartet (Bágyi Balázs New Quartet) (June 11), Jazzation (June 12), KAZM year-ender (June 13), The First 50… – musical celebration with friends (Az első 50…) (June 13), and more open jams led by the Péter Pintér Trio (June 17) and Iván Nagy Classic Jam (June 24).
Summer Closers and Beyond
Late June brings Organ Station (June 23), Fröx Trio (June 24), Marcus Lee Trio – Old Songs album launch (June 25), Pastell Contemporro (June 26), Cafuné (June 27), and ALERANT Jazz Night: Budapest Bossa Nova (Budapest Bossanova) (June 30), plus LFZE Open Jam: Dóra Moldovai Quartet (Moldovai Dóra Quartet) (June 30). The club curates the Malomvölgy Festival (Malomvölgy Fesztivál) from August 13 to 15. Rounding out the year: Vilmos Gryllus: Winter Concert (Gryllus Vilmos: Téli koncert) arrives November 22.
