From global icons to emerging talents: what to expect at CTIJF 2026

The stage is set, the anticipation is building, and The Mother City is ready to welcome some of the globe’s most inventive musical minds. 

The 23rd Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) returns to the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28. Renowned as “Africa's Grandest Gathering”, the festival continues to blend local brilliance with international star power.

With an expected audience of around 20,000, this year’s line-up is shaping up to be one of the most diverse yet, including performances by global icons like the UK’s Jacob Collier, jazz fusion legends Yellowjackets and South African luminaries such as Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse and Nduduzo Makhathini.

Rising stars in genres like amapiano, including the Scorpion Kings, also feature, making it an intersection of jazz, soul, African rhythms and global influences.

Brazilian rhythms and jazz dialogue

Brazilian duo Vanessa Moreno and Salomão Soares will also grace Rosies Stage on Friday, March 27. Pianist Soares and Latin Grammy-nominated vocalist Moreno describe their performance as more than a concert; it is an exchange of identity through sound.

“It is extremely important, because there is so much beautiful and diverse music happening across different parts of Brazil,” Moreno explained during an interview with “Independent Media Lifestyle.”

“In every corner of the country, there are people creating art in very unique ways and being able to bring a bit of our Brazilianness, blended with the jazz atmosphere that is part of our work, is an immense joy. It is also a way to share more of our culture with other parts of the world.”

Emerging voices

Emerging artists also take centre stage at this year’s gathering. This includes Rorisang Sechele, who will bring her project “The Seed” to the Moses Molelekwa stage.

“As a young artist, performing at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival has always been a dream of mine,” Sechele shared during a recent interview. 

“I remember having conversations with my roommate in high school about how exciting it would be just to attend the festival. Little did I know that, ten years later, I would be performing on the very stage we once spoke about.”

For Sechele, the festival is about more than performance - it is a space for community, creativity, and exchange.

“The festival represents excellence, community and creative exchange, so standing on that stage truly feels like a full-circle moment in my journey,” she said. “I am most excited about finally sonically planting ‘The Seed’ in Cape Town.”

The duo Jazzwrld echoes a similar sentiment. “We have looked up to this ever since we were kids,” they say. “Seeing icons like Tata Hugh Masekela on this stage inspired us. This is the biggest platform ever, and we are more than excited. We plan on going retro with our live band sessions.”

Jacob Collier’s first encounter with Cape Town

For Collier, bringing his boundary-pushing music to Cape Town for the first time is a significant moment in his career.

“The history of South African music is obviously extremely deep, and it had a real impact on me as a child,” Collier explained. “It’s one of these iconic musical places that I’ve never been to before, so the fact that it’s my first time coming makes it all the more special.”

Despite his global success, Collier speaks about Cape Town with genuine curiosity and excitement. “I’ve known about the Cape Town Jazz Festival for many years, and lots of my friends who’ve performed there have said the most amazing things about it,” he added.

Honouring a jazz legend

Tributes form an integral part of CTIJF, and Tumi Mogorosi will lead one such homage with “Revolutionary with a Reed”, honouring the late jazz pioneer Kippie Moeketsi. 

Scheduled for the Rosies stage, Mogorosi will be joined by Muhammad Dawjee on saxophone and Nhlanhla Neville Radebe on bass.

“The themes that are shaping the music I am bringing are about thinking through a lens of tribute and commemoration,” Mogorosi explains.

“We are trying to think about how to pay homage to the great masses that have come before.” The performance combines reverence with reinterpretation, with arrangements co-created by Khaya Mahlangu, inviting a contemporary dialogue with Moeketsi’s legacy.

Returning icons

Veteran jazz vocalist Tutu Puoane returns to headline the Rosies stage on Saturday, March 28, after more than two decades based in Antwerp, Belgium. Puoane recalls her first CTIJF performance in 2008 with humour and nostalgia.

“OMG, it was quite stressful to be honest,” she laughed. “My daughter was only six months old, and my mom wanted to see the gig, of course, so we had to find a babysitter. On top of that, I had nothing to wear, so yeah, I remember that gig very well.”

Eighteen years later, the circumstances have shifted. “This time around, our daughter is a young 18-year-old lady who does my make-up and styles me, so all should be fine on that front,” she said.

Meanwhile, Jabulile Majola is also excited about his CTIJF performance, where he will make his festival debut on Friday on the Moses Molelekwa stage.

“Being part of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival feels like stepping into a living archive of stories,” Jabulile says. “It is a space where people come together and share life with one another. I am excited to experience the festival both as an artist and as a listener.”  

A festival of connection

From international stars like Collier and Brazil’s Moreno & Soares, to the reflective tributes of Mogorosi, and the visionary work of emerging talents Sechele and Jazzwrld, the 23rd CTIJF promises a celebration of sound, culture and dialogue.

As Moreno aptly puts it, the festival is about presence, connection, and the joy of shared experience: “Being able to spark that sense of presence and lightness in people is one of the greatest gifts I can receive on stage.”

More information about the festival is available at www.capetownjazzfest.com. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.