Jazz at LACMA Is Back for 2026

The return of spring means it's that time of year: Jazz at LACMA is back! The 35th season of this favorite free concert series, with performances Friday evenings now through October, begins this weekend. As usual, there are no tickets needed, so come to LACMA's Smidt Welcome Plaza with your friends and fellow music lovers, feel free to bring a picnic, and celebrate L.A.'s finest jazz musicians at the museum. The 2026 season will kick off on Friday, May 1, from 6–8 pm, with a concert featuring vocalist and composer Michelle Coltrane, who will be celebrating the John Coltrane Centennial. Other upcoming performances this month include the Lao Tizer Band, the Julius Rodriguez Trio, the Brian Swartz Quintet, and Tierney Sutton. See all of this season's Jazz at LACMA concerts on our event calendar. Jazz at LACMA is free and open to all as usual, but the museum is looking a bit different these days. The new David Geffen Galleries are now open for Member Previews, which means our recently transformed campus is bustling. If you're driving to LACMA, you'll find dedicated parking in the Pritzker Parking Garage on 6th Street, just east of Fairfax Avenue, but it may fill up quickly. Some other nearby options for parking are below, and full directions to the museum are on our website. Full schedule on the museum calendar (filter Jazz at LACMA): https://www.lacma.org/event-calendar-by-day?event_hub=Jazz+at+LACMA