In honor of the Jazz in Finland 100 anniversary year, a large-scale showcase event of Finnish jazz will be held in Finland, aimed at an international professional audience. The event, taking place in April alongside the April Jazz Festival, will present up to ten current bands and artists selected by a professional jury.

In 2026, it will be one hundred years since jazz symbolically arrived in Finland from the United States aboard the steamship Andania. This moment is considered the starting point of the development of Finnish jazz. Over the decades, Finnish jazz has grown from a grassroots phenomenon into part of the international scene – and today it is more diverse and vibrant than ever.

The event brings together promoters, record label representatives, concert organizers, media and other industry professionals from around the world. It is organised in cooperation by the Finnish Jazz Federation, Music Finland, Espoo Big Band Association and the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki. The event is supported by the Music Promotion Foundation Finland and the City of Espoo.

The showcase will take place on April 21–23 at various venues across Espoo. Over the course of three days, a diverse group of artists will take the stage, ranging from emerging talents to ensembles with strong international careers. The program also includes panel discussions and talks.

Finnish Jazz Showcase performers:

April 21 – WeeGee Exhibition Centre (3–6 PM)

Lassy-Eskola Nordic Stew | Pauli Lyytinen | Selma Savolainen in the shade

April 22 – Hanaholmen (10 AM–5 PM)

Seppo Kantonen Trio | Iro Haarla Ouranos Ensemble | Aki Rissanen Solo | D.O.P.A.

April 23 – Kino Tapiola (11 AM–1 PM)

Superposition | Kadi Vija | Heli Hartikainen

All concerts have free admission, subject to venue capacity.

More detailed schedules and artist presentations can be found on the April Jazz Festival website.