Lovebird Festival 2026
From 4 to 7 June 2026, the Lovebird Festival will once again bring international jazz positions and style-related soundscapes to Düsseldorf.
With its focus on artistic quality, intimate venues and a clear curatorial signature, the festival has quickly established itself as a permanent fixture in the regional jazz calendar.
The Lovebird Festival 2026 will kick off its third edition with an international highlight: Brazilian singer Mari Froes will open the festival on 4 June with an exclusive concert at the Rudas Studios in Düsseldorf. The artist is one of the most fascinating new voices on the young international scene and combines contemporary pop with elements of bossa nova, samba and modern jazz.
With around five million monthly listeners on Spotify, Mari Froes is one of Brazil's most successful artists. She also inspires an audience of millions on social media: around 1.4 million followers on Instagram and around two million on TikTok. Her international breakthrough came with a viral version of the Brazilian samba classic "Figade Guiné", which achieved over 70 million views. Since then, her international appeal has been growing rapidly.
After sold-out shows and her first headlining European tour, Mari Froes is returning for selected festival appearances in 2026 - the launch at the Lovebird Festival offers a rare opportunity to experience her in an intimate setting.
In addition to Mari Froes, the third festival edition presents other international and national acts from jazz and related genres, including
- Nneka
- Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr with Jörg Brinkmann
- Marcus Schinkel Trio feat. Ernie Watts
- as well as special projects between jazz, soul, folk and modern songwriter culture
The festival stands for concert experiences with proximity and depth: music as a direct encounter between artists and audience - concentrated, atmospheric and sustainable.
"With Mari Froes, we are opening the festival with an artist who combines jazz sensibility with an enormous international reach," says Nils Gropp. "This fits in perfectly with our aim of thinking openly about jazz and also reaching a new audience."
International perspectives for the Düsseldorf jazz scene
The Lovebird Festival 2026 is supported by partners from culture, business and urban society, including Stadtwerke Düsseldorf. Together, they will strengthen Düsseldorf's visibility as a vibrant location for jazz and improvised music with international appeal.
With its mixture of international guests, curatorial clarity and special atmosphere, the Lovebird Festival stands for a contemporary understanding of jazz: open, cross-style and close to the audience. (Source: Lovebird Festival gGmbH)