MedeJazz Medellin 2026 Final Days: Free 30th-Anniversary Jazz Concerts Through September 18
MedeJazz Medellin 2026 is in its final stretch: the 30th-anniversary jazz festival runs through September 18 and 19, with ten of its eleven concerts free across two stages, the Gran Salon at Plaza Mayor and the Tarima SURA in the Jardin Botanico.
Jazz fans in Medellin still have a few days left to catch one of Latin America’s longest-running jazz festivals before its 30th edition wraps up.
Key Facts
- What. MedeJazz, Medellin’s jazz festival, marking its 30th anniversary in 2026.
- When it actually ends. The festival runs September 5 through 18-19, not just September 17-19 as some listings suggest.
- Where. Two stages: the Gran Salon at Plaza Mayor and the Tarima SURA inside the Jardin Botanico de Medellin.
- Cost. Ten of eleven concerts are free; only the closing gala concert at the Gran Salon charges admission, around COP 231,000.
- Lineup. Musicians from Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela and the Netherlands across the festival’s final nights.
MedeJazz Medellin 2026: A 30th Anniversary Nears Its Close
Corporacion Medearte’s MedeJazz festival has run in Medellin for three decades, growing from a small local jazz series into one of the longer-standing jazz events in the region, and 2026 marks its 30th edition.
Unlike some listings that suggest the festival only spans September 17 to 19, MedeJazz 2026 actually began September 5, meaning this week’s shows are the festival’s closing stretch rather than its entirety.
Two Very Different Stages
The bulk of the festival’s biggest free shows happen at the Tarima SURA, an open-air stage inside the Jardin Botanico de Medellin, where the surrounding gardens give evening concerts a relaxed, outdoor feel.
The Gran Salon at Plaza Mayor hosts the more formal side of the festival, including the sole ticketed gala concert that closes out the 30th-anniversary run.
What Is Free and What Costs Money
Ten of the festival’s eleven scheduled concerts are free to attend, a rarity for a festival of this size and one of MedeJazz’s defining features since its earliest years.
The single exception is the gala concert at the Gran Salon, which carries a ticket price of roughly COP 231,000, about US$74 at current exchange rates, reflecting its more formal, seated format.
Who Is Playing in the Final Days
The closing nights bring a genuinely international lineup, with musicians traveling from Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela and the Netherlands to perform across the festival’s last dates.
That mix has become a MedeJazz trademark over the decades: rather than leaning only on Colombian acts, the festival regularly books touring jazz musicians from across Latin America and Europe.
What Newcomers Can Still Catch
Anyone in Medellin this week can still take in one or more of the free Tarima SURA shows without advance tickets, making it an easy last-minute addition to an evening in the city.
For the ticketed gala at the Gran Salon, checking Corporacion Medearte’s own channels for remaining availability is the safest route, since demand for the closing show tends to be higher than for the free outdoor sets.
Planning Around the Festival’s End
Because most of what remains is concentrated in the festival’s final two days, visitors should check exact set times close to the date rather than relying on the original September lineup announcement.
The Jardin Botanico itself is worth arriving early for, since the gardens are open to the public before evening concerts begin and make for a pleasant way to spend a pre-show hour.
A Festival That Is Free by Design
MedeJazz is the Festival Internacional Medellín de Jazz y Músicas del Mundo, and this is its thirtieth edition, running from 5 to 19 September.
Ten of the eleven concerts cost nothing. Only the opening gala on 5 September was ticketed, and the four masterclasses are free as well.
The stage is the Tarima SURA inside the Jardín Botánico in the north of the city, which the festival shares with the Fiesta del Libro y la Cultura running to 20 September.
Getting there is simple. The Universidad station on Metro Line A sits directly opposite the garden entrance.
Local Musicians, Not Imported Headliners
The thirtieth edition ran an open call in July restricted to musicians from Antioquia and the Aburrá valley who had not played the two previous editions, and chose five local groups.
Most of the closing week is made up of those winners rather than visiting names, which is a deliberate choice for an anniversary programme.
International guests across the fortnight included the Orquesta Aragón of Cuba with the EAFIT symphony orchestra, the Cuban pianist Andrés Hernández and the Dutch trumpeter Michael Varekamp.
One caution for anyone planning a night out: the two main published schedules disagree on the closing running order and even on whether the festival ends on the 18th or the 19th. Check on the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does MedeJazz 2026 actually end?
The festival’s final concerts fall on September 18 and 19, 2026, closing out a run that began September 5, not a three-day event as some listings suggest.
Is MedeJazz free to attend?
Ten of the festival’s eleven concerts are free; only the closing gala concert at the Gran Salon in Plaza Mayor charges admission, around COP 231,000 (about US$74).
Where are the MedeJazz concerts held?
Across two stages: the Tarima SURA inside the Jardin Botanico de Medellin, and the Gran Salon at Plaza Mayor for the ticketed gala.
Who is performing at the final MedeJazz 2026 shows?
Musicians from Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela and the Netherlands round out the festival’s closing nights.
Connected Coverage
Living in or visiting Medellin? See our expat guides to culture, tickets and daily life in the city.
Sources: El Colombiano (September 3, 2026), Semana (August 19, 2026), Corporacion Medearte.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error
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