Riverbank Arts Centre announces return of Kildare Jazz Festival in 2026

Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge, Co Kildare is delighted to announce the return of Kildare Jazz Festival in 2026. 

Entering its third iteration, Kildare Jazz Festival will showcase an exciting blend of Irish and international talent and will also launch a callout for the 2026 Emerging Act. 

This year, the weekend prior to the festival will feature a programme of free jazz events presented by Kildare Jazz Festival and hosted at Maynooth University, Straffan’s Barista Bike and across Newbridge.  Acts will include Cormac O’Brien and Tom Halferty, Tenters Ensemble, Bobby Mc and Oninao.  

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Over three days from Friday March 27 at Riverbank Arts Centre, audiences can enjoy a diverse programme of jazz and workshops spanning visual art, dance, and more.  

Friday will kick off with the Emerging Act, followed by the critically acclaimed Michael Buckley Quartet featuring Michael Buckley on saxophone, Greg Felton on piano, Barry Donohue on bass and Shane O’Donovan on drums.  

Families are invited to explore imagination through simple dance steps, swirling shapes and playful discovery with Karen Aguiar in Newbridge Town Hall. Vocalist-producer Dorota Konchevska, bassist/guitarist/producer Maciej Bliziński, and drummer/electronic artist/producer Chris Hokamp bring their new collaborative project Blooming Rooms to the stage on Saturday.

Venezuelan guitarist Orlando Molina will be joined by his quintet of world-class collaborators: Matthew Jacobson (drums), Scott Flanigan (piano), Cormac O’Brien (Double Bass), and Steve Welsh (saxophones). Award-winning vocalist, pianist, songwriter, and composer Yumi Ito, whose music moves seamlessly between jazz, art-pop, and neo-classical, will bring Saturday to a close.  

Sunday offers a bilingual family concert filled with songs, stories, rírá agus ruaille buaille with Riona Sally Hartman. Listen to Kildare’s up and coming jazz musicians with Music Generation Kildare’s Teen Spirit Jazz Ensemble. The festival closes with Origin Story - “one of the freshest voices in Irish jazz ” (Irish Times) which features pianist Greg Felton, bassist Cormac O’Brien and drummer Matthew Jacobson. 

Artist Johnny Tierney and cellist Matt Rafter will host an art workshop where participants will be encouraged to respond creatively to a live musical performance, and choreographer Mateusz Szczerek will lead participants in a dance workshop blending improvisation, rhythm and collaborative expression.  

Festival curator Kasia Eliasz said: "The third edition of Kildare Jazz Festival marks our most exciting leap yet - a celebration of national and international voices, new collaborations, and a festival that now spills into a second weekend and four new venues. From solos to full ensembles, from workshops for children and adults to the meeting of jazz and visual arts, 2026 invites our community to experience jazz in more vibrant, expansive ways than ever before.” 

Kasia Eliasz is an award-winning Creative Producer, Director, and Musician working across music, theatre, and multi-sensory performance. With a background in Cultural Studies, Psychotherapy, and Art Therapy, she creates inclusive projects for children, neurodivergent audiences, and people with intellectual disabilities. 

Kasia also leads her own nine-piece Brazilian jazz band and works on numerous site-specific and community-based works. She has curated three editions of Kildare Jazz Festival, combining leading international jazz acts with a diverse range of workshops and family events over a single weekend. Her work appears at major festivals and is supported by The Arts Council and Creative Ireland, earning multiple national awards. 

Tickets go on sale on Friday 19 December and will be available from www.riverbank.ie

Kildare Jazz Festival is funded by The Arts Council of Ireland and supported by Riverbank Arts Centre and Kildare County Council Arts Service.  

Kildare Jazz Festival will be at Riverbank Arts Centre from Friday 27-Sunday 29 March. Tickets are available from Box Office, either in person or by telephone on 045 448327 Monday to Friday 9.30am-5pm (closed for lunch 2-2.30) and Saturday 10am-3pm.

Tickets can also be booked 24/7 on www.riverbank.ie – Online tickets subject to €1.50 booking fee per ticket.