About festival
About
The international jazz festival VILNIUS MAMA JAZZ takes place in the capital of Lithuania every year since 2002, presenting the most original and brightest jazz musicians and bands from all over the world, and nurturing the culture and traditions of Lithuanian jazz.
In 2026, the festival will take place on May 22-24 at the Lithuanian National Drama Theater.
The program of the festival includes not only concerts on the main stage, but also showcase stage, master classes of the most outstanding jazz musicians, night jam sessions, conferences, talks and meetings, art projects in various fields, film screenings, exhibitions, etc.
Navigating between different music genres and pushing the boundaries, Vilnius Mama Jazz Festival is distinguished by the selection of professional performers, unique bands and a dynamic program that is united by three essential elements: music quality, originality, and relevance.
An important part of the Vilnius Mama Jazz Festival’s program is the Showcase Stage, implemented in 2016. It is a platform where carefully selected Lithuanian jazz performers and bands have the opportunity to introduce themselves to representatives of the jazz industry from abroad: music critics, journalists, producers and organizers of the biggest and the most relevant jazz festivals, representatives of clubs and agencies. It is an opportunity for musicians to be noticed by well-known jazz experts, and in this way the Vilnius Mama Jazz Festival contributes to the dissemination of Lithuanian jazz abroad.
The Vilnius Mama Jazz Festival gives priority to opening the stage to young talents. Night Jam Sessions is a space where young jazz performers and acclaimed musicians meet in an informal setting. Their joint performances, energy and improvisations give the audience an extraordinary experience and help academic youth to improve and broaden their musical horizons.
Over the twenty years of the festival, musicians such as Marcus Miller, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Ravi Coltrane, Bill Frisell, Christian McBride, Medeski Martin and Wood, Wayne Shorter, Terence Blanchard, Pharoah Sanders, Jack DeJohnette, Chris Potter, Jason Moran, The Bad Plus (2007, 2019), Kneebody, Gerald Clayton, Snarky Puppy, Steve Coleman and Five Elements, The Ambrose Akinmusire, Robert Glasper (2010, 2011), OREGON, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Brian Blade, GHOST-NOTE, Ben Wendel, Joe Sanders, Greg Hutchinson, Anthony Braxton, Nicole Mitchell, Myra Melford, Shai Maestro, Vienna Art Orchestra, Peter Brötzmann, Copenhagen Art Ensemble, Marilyn Mazur, Maria Faust, Jean-Luc Ponty, Louis Sclavis, Marcas Ducret, Emile Parisien Quartet, Erik Truffaz Quartet, Joelle Leandre, Airelle Besson, Miroslav Vitous, Arve Henriksen, Jan Bang & Stian Westerhus, Marius Neset, Jaga Jazzist, Mathias Eick, Nils Petter Molvær, Eivind Aarset: Sonic Codex 4tet, Beady Belle, Lars Danielsson, Rosario Giuliani, Flavio Boltro, Sons of Kemet, Get The Blessing, Neil Cowley, GoGo Penguin, Portico Quartet, The Comet Is Coming, Phronesis, RYMDEN and many other have taken part.
Press & Reviews
All About Jazz (US) · EN · 2025
“Right from the start, it was obvious that the music at the festival would be cosmopolitan and cater to a range of different tastes.”
Full review here.
jazzwise (UK) · EN · 2025
“It’s all about presentation, sometimes, about staking out a confrontational stance of individuality, and being heedless of restraining convention.”
Full review here.
jazzwise (UK) · EN · 2025
“Vilnius Mama Jazz still maintained a defiant thread of experimentation.”
Full review here.
citizen jazz (FR) · FR · 2025
“Depuis 2002, le Vilnius Mama Jazz accueille des artistes planétaires tout en ayant à cœur de faire découvrir la culture du pays. Cette édition 2025 a mis en évidence de jeunes lituanien·nes très impliqué·es dans des projets originaux.”
Full review here.
MUSICA JAZZ (IT) · IT · 2025
“Dall’eredità di Esbjörn Svensson a Ganelin, da Bilal alle sperimentazioni baltiche: quattro giorni nella capitale del jazz del Nord”
Full review here.
jazz forum (PL) · PL · 2025
“Całość Vilnius Mama Jazz Festival była naprawdę imponująca zarówno pod katem artystycznym, jak też organizacyjnym. Co najważniejsze, organizatorzy naprawdę starają się rozwijać międzynarodowe kontakty, zapraszać gości, pokazywać im to, co najlepsze na litewskiej scenie, prowokować dyskusje (podczas paneli dyskusyjnych w ciągu dnia), a przez to wszystko profesjonalizować i budować swoją własną scenę.”
Published in the print edition.
Orkester Journalen (SE) · SE · 2025
“Att bjuda sina lyssnare på ny och genretrotsande musik är festivalens signum.”
Full review here.
The authors of photographies used in website
© Giulia Spadafora
© Matthias Creutzigerny
© Outer/Most Agency
© Roger Urhaug
© Joerg Grosse Geldermann
© Živilė Butvilaitė
© Jonas Jakūnas
© Dainius Labutis
© Evgenia Levin
© Šarūnas Rudys
© Vytautas Suslavičius
© Rytis Šeškaitis
© Maria Sécio
© Sebastian Steins
© Kate Vice
© Ian Hippolyte
© Adomas Kaikaris
All rights reserved.
Public Institution “Vilniaus džiazo klubas”
Code: 125290733, VAT code: LT252907314
Director–Administration Manager Judita Bartoševičienė/Mama Jazz
ph. +370 698 32 636
