This year, BIRD Rotterdam celebrates its 15th anniversary. Based in Rotterdam, BIRD connects jazz, soul, hip hop, electronic music and sounds from across the African diaspora through live music, artist development and collaborations across the city.
After marking our anniversary in September with two weeks of special programming, from local talent at our curated Alternate Takes series to a clinic, show and jam with UK collective Steam Down, Kay Slice’s new album release and 15 Years of Hip Hop curated by Dutch hip hop legend Winne, we are now looking ahead to a busy autumn.
A few highlights from our upcoming autumn programme. For the full agenda, visit our website and see what’s coming up at BIRD:
- On 1 November, Mark Guiliana brings Beat Music to BIRD. One of the most distinctive drummers working between contemporary jazz and electronic music, Guiliana has collaborated with artists including David Bowie, Brad Mehldau and Meshell Ndegeocello.
- On 15 November, BIRD and LantarenVenster present Los Angeles collective SML at LantarenVenster. The five-piece brings together improvisation, jazz, electronics and psychedelic grooves, reflecting our ongoing collaboration with other Rotterdam venues to bring international artists to different stages across the city.
- On 18 November, we welcome Brazilian singer, songwriter and guitarist Joyce Moreno back to Rotterdam, again together with LantarenVenster. With a career spanning almost six decades, Joyce continues to connect Brazilian music, jazz and new generations of listeners.
- A few days later, on 21 November, BIRD presents Isaiah Collier Plays Coltrane, a special talk and concert marking 100 years of John Coltrane. Chicago saxophonist Isaiah Collier explores Coltrane’s musical and spiritual legacy together with his band The Chosen Few, with the conversation moderated by Andrew Makkinga.
These projects reflect how we see BIRD’s role in Rotterdam: presenting international artists on our own stage, working with partners across the city and creating connections between different generations, scenes and musical traditions.
BIRD has also been represented at this year’s European Jazz Conference by Raluca Baicu, Programmer at BIRD, who introduced BIRD during the General Assembly. We look forward to connecting with fellow EJN members around touring, artist exchange, co-presentations and future collaborative projects across Europe.
October – November 2026
Rotterdam, The Netherlands