Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival

17 - 26 July 2026

SPARK: Jazz From the Netherlands 

We are proud to present SPARK: Jazz from the Netherlands, our flagship international showcase celebrating the creativity, innovation and global influence of Dutch jazz. Running throughout the festival in July, SPARK highlights both emerging and internationally acclaimed artists from the Netherlands, introducing Scottish audiences to some of the most exciting voices shaping Europe’s contemporary jazz landscape.

SPARK: Jazz from the Netherlands shines a light on one of Europe’s most consistently influential jazz scenes. The Netherlands has long been recognised for producing musicians of exceptional creative independence and international reach. From established global figures to a new generation reshaping the language of improvised music, Dutch artists are known for a willingness to challenge the traditional.

This year’s SPARK line-up reflects that diversity and openness to explore: from the lyrical, introspective piano of Harmen Fraanje to the genre-blurring duo of Jesse van Ruller and Maarten Hogenhuis, the groove-infused, cross-cultural sound of Peter Somuah, the inventiveness of Evan and Carolina's Super Duper Group & Fun and the freewheeling, theatrical energy of Ponga. Alongside these performances, a special Dutch Jazz Talk explores the scene and its connections with Scotland, while new collaborations highlight the festival’s commitment to artistic exchange with saxophonist and composer Femke Mooren joining Ali Watson, Greg Irons and Simon Herberholz.

We invite audiences to open their ears and step into a programme, shaped in the Netherlands, where creativity and imagination go hand in hand. An international celebration of jazz as a living, evolving art form.

SPARK: Jazz from the Netherlands is funded by the Performing Arts Fund NL and the Scottish Government’s EXPO Fund, and delivered in partnership with inJazz / Buma Cultuur and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the United Kingdom.