The Guatemala Jazz Festival is a free series of jazz concerts, organized since 2001, in Guatemala City, Antigua Guatemala and Quetzaltenango, organized by the Instituto Guatemalteco Americano (IGA). The 2026 edition ran from March 2 to April 7, 2026: 27 concerts by 16 groups from 9 countries, all free. The 2027 dates are not announced (checked September 25, 2026). Source: the festival site, jazz.iga.edu, read on September 25, 2026, plus El Oficial (February 18, 2026) and Prensa Libre coverage of the launch.
The 2026 edition at a glance
| Dates | March 2 to April 7, 2026 |
| Concerts | 27, by 16 groups from 9 countries |
| Cities | Guatemala City, Antigua Guatemala, Quetzaltenango |
| Admission | Free at every venue; some venues need a free ticket |
| Organizer | Instituto Guatemalteco Americano (IGA) |
| Official site | jazz.iga.edu |
One discrepancy: El Oficial and Prensa Libre, reporting the February 17 launch, gave the end date as April 5. The festival site’s header says March 2 to April 7, and its calendar’s last concert is Malstrom on April 7, so we use April 7.
Venues, and which ones need a ticket
The rule differed by venue. For 2026 the festival site listed:
| Venue | Address (as published) | Time | Ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teatro Dick Smith, IGA | Ruta 1 4-05, zona 4, Guatemala City | 8 p.m. | Free, ticket required from jazz.iga.edu |
| Plaza Obelisco | Bulevar Los Próceres and Avenida Las Américas, zona 10, Guatemala City | not given in the venue list | Free, no ticket |
| Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (CFCE) | 6a. Ave Norte, between 3a. and 4a. calle, Antigua Guatemala | 7 p.m. | Free, no ticket |
| Santo Domingo del Cerro | Km. 42.5 Santa Inés del Monte Pulciano, Antigua Guatemala | 4:30 p.m. | Free, no ticket |
| Parque Intercultural de Quetzaltenango | 4a. Calle between 19 and 21 avenida, zona 3, Quetzaltenango | 7 p.m. | Free; the site says tickets at jazz.iga.edu |
The Quetzaltenango row is inconsistent on the festival site itself: the venue list says “Entrada gratuita. Boletos disponibles en www.jazz.iga.edu”, the calendar’s venue key says free without a ticket, and the site’s Sobre el Festival section puts the Quetzaltenango concert at the Teatro Municipal rather than the Parque Intercultural. Check the site for the year you attend.
On Sunday March 15, 2026, Plaza Obelisco hosted a day of bands from Guatemala, Colombia, Switzerland, Germany, the United States and Italy, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as part of the Municipalidad’s Cüs Cun food festival.
The 2026 groups, by country
As listed by the festival site:
| Country | Groups |
|---|---|
| Germany | Malstrom; Pauline Réage |
| Colombia | Geografías Band |
| Spain | Antonio Lizana & Adriano Lozano; Jorge Pardo |
| United States | Afina-Dos Trio |
| France | Minor Sing |
| Guatemala | Big Band Municipal; Imox Jazz; Mark Fusion; Roberto Estrada Jazz Band; UDV Jazz Combos |
| Italy | Antonio Onorato Neapolitan Avantgarde Quartet; Raphael Gualazzi |
| Mexico | Javo Barrera |
| Switzerland | Bass Drum People |
The calendar opened on March 2 with Javo Barrera (listed as Mexico / Guatemala) and closed on April 7 with Malstrom.
How the festival works
- Launch night. The 2026 festival opened on Tuesday February 17 with a jam session by Dina Ramírez Quintet & Guests on the pedestrian street of 4 Grados Norte, zona 4, with the zona 4 Alcaldía Auxiliar.
- Partners. The IGA organizes it with 20 embassies and binational centers accredited in Guatemala, educational institutions and the Municipalidad de Guatemala. The Plaza Obelisco concerts come from the IGA’s alliance with the Municipalidad.
- Jazz Clinics. The visiting musicians give free workshops for musicians and music students. In 2026 the Instituto Imox coordinated them, with a virtual option on prior registration, at the IGA, Universidad Da Vinci, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, the GamaMusic academy, the CFCE in Antigua and the Escuela Normal para Maestros de Educación Musical “Jesús María Alvarado”. The site says more than 2,000 musicians have taken part in the clinics since 2014.
Related
- Concerts and live events in Guatemala: what is on sale now, rebuilt daily from the ticketers
- Empire Music Festival, the May festival at Finca El Jocotillo
- Festival de la Luz, Antigua, July video-mapping nights
- Guatemala events calendar
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Guatemala Jazz Festival?
The 2026 edition ran from March 2 to April 7, 2026, according to the festival site jazz.iga.edu, whose calendar ends with Malstrom (Germany) on April 7. Press coverage of the February launch gave April 5 as the end date. The 2027 dates are not announced (checked September 25, 2026).
Is the Guatemala Jazz Festival free?
Yes. The festival site says all concerts are free (’¡Todos los conciertos son gratuitos!’). Some venues need a free ticket and others do not: in 2026 the Teatro Dick Smith at the IGA required a free ticket from jazz.iga.edu, while Plaza Obelisco, the CFCE in Antigua and Santo Domingo del Cerro were free without a ticket.
Who organizes the Guatemala Jazz Festival?
The Instituto Guatemalteco Americano (IGA). The festival site says it has run the festival since 2001, in collaboration with 20 embassies and binational centers accredited in Guatemala, educational institutions and the Municipalidad de Guatemala.
