Call for applications: Brussels Jazz Vanguard 2026

Every year at the end of May, Brussels becomes a major meeting place where jazz fills the city with life. The festival is more than just a celebration: it is a space for meeting, discovery, and collaboration. Belgian jazz talent takes center stage, with a particular focus on new voices and innovative formats. This ambition is reinforced by Brussels Jazz Vanguard, a platform that supports the artistic growth, exchanges, and international reach of the new generation of jazz musicians.

To register, you must:

• Be able to play a 60-minute set.
• At least one member must reside in Belgium.
• Agree to the sale of the Brussels Jazz Weekend vinyl, which will include one of your tracks.

The process:

• An open pre-selection of 15 groups in collaboration with Court-Circuit, VI.BE and the Brussels conservatories.
• A professional jury will select a winner.
• The public will vote for an public award during the live performance on Place Sainte-Catherine during the Lotto Brussels Jazz Weekend 2026.

The rewards:

• The winner and the public award winner will open the festival in 2027. 
• The winner will receive recording time in a professional studio.
• Live performances will be recorded during the festival and, in consultation with each band, one track will be selected and released on the vinyl album ‘Brussels Jazz Vanguard TWO’.
• The winner will receive recording time in a professional studio.

Applications must be submitted before  March 27, 2026 .

Find more information via the link below.