Journey to Jazz Festival

27/05/2026

Outa Lappies come to life once more in collaboration with UNIMA director Janni Younge, Sam Zihlangu, and their team of artists, pictured here at our Opening Concert. A true Karoo icon reimagined through puppetry.

Outa Lappies was an outsider artist known for walking through Prince Albert with his handmade cart, creating from imagination, care, and deep connection to his community and environment. He became a lasting symbol of creativity, compassion, and possibility within the Karoo.

It was incredibly special to see his essence captured through the work of Janni Younge, Sam Zihlangu, and the UNIMA team, and brought into the world of Journey to Jazz.

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25/05/2026

Our masterclass series this year became one of the strongest highlights of the festival.

It created a space within Journey to Jazz where we could not only listen to jazz, but speak about it, looking at the past, present, and future. A space to unpack histories, influences, philosophies, and stories that are not always easy to articulate, but deeply important to hold onto and share. New phrases entered our vocabularies, new perspectives opened up, and important conversations unfolded.

We loved this moment of speaking about the late Basil Coetzee during his masterclass with Jonathan Rubain on Cape Jazz, a form of jazz so deeply important within the South African context.

A beautiful reminder that sometimes it is the imperfections in music that make it human and authentic. Very true to Journey to Jazz.

20/05/2026

This year our Greet & Meet programme included a Historical Walk and a new storytelling concept, ‘Almal se Stoep Stories’ at .

What unfolded was far more than we could have anticipated. A deeply heartwarming, cathartic, and educational exchange of memories, reflections and lived experience shared across generations.

Thank you to everyone who joined, listened, and shared their stories with us.

Photographed by and

17/05/2026

Did you attend Journey to Jazz 2026?

As we reflect on this year’s festival and begin dreaming towards the future, we would love to hear about your experience.

Our feedback survey includes questions about performances, the Greet & Meet programme, Prince Albert, festival logistics, and ideas for future festivals.

Your feedback will help us grow, improve, and continue building Journey to Jazz together with the community and through the work of PACT.

All responses are optional and we appreciate anything you are willing to share with us. Please fill out the form, linked below 💖

us14.list-manage.com/survey?u=521df7e56916dd25186b62dba&id=d3ce752213&e=*%7CUNIQID%7C*

17/05/2026

Special moments and songs from The People’s Concert 2026. A tradition we carry with us to close off the festival each year.

Church on a Sunday looks a little different during Journey to Jazz. A space to come together one last time to reflect on the music, the connections, and the magic we collectively experienced and created over the weekend.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this beautiful celebration and closing moment. See you at ?

15/05/2026

Faces of Journey to Jazz 2026 by Jonathon Rees.

returned to Prince Albert this year and once again captured our stages, faces, and expressions in a way only he can. As an experienced photographer who has documented live music and performance for many years, we are grateful for the care and depth he brings to these moments.

If you didn’t get a chance to see his exhibition, Stillness, during the festival, showcasing some of the most prominent and exciting jazz musicians across multiple stages, it will remain up at the until 1 June.

12/05/2026

Our J2J26 Crew! What would we do without you?! 💖

Our crew are the youth who spend months getting to know the programme and the festival. The core that brings the authenticity and warmth to Journey to Jazz.

Thank you for all the smiles shared and the time put into getting to know the festival, venues, and programme. Our ambassadors, we appreciate you deeply.

We hope you had fun and got to experience your town in a different light too. Thank you for sharing your spirit and enlightening us all.

11/05/2026

Kyle Shepherd shared an intimate live film score to four William Kentridge films at this year’s Journey to Jazz.

In a stripped-back solo performance at the NG Kerk, music met moving image in a deeply immersive experience. Each note responded delicately to Kentridge’s iconic visual world, creating a performance that felt both expansive and deeply personal.

A special moment at .

08/05/2026

Special moments with Nomfundo Xaluva at The Showroom Theatre.

A beautiful balance of softness, intimacy, and music that moved between quiet reflection and moments that made you want to sing along and rise to your feet.

What a pleasure it was to have Nomfundo share her music with us on the J2J stage.

07/05/2026