Mexico City, Sep 5 (Prensa Latina) Details of the 41st edition of the Jazz Plaza International Festival, scheduled to take place in Cuba from January 25 to February 1, 2026, were announced in this capital by its president, Víctor Rodríguez.
The prestigious event, under the artistic direction of Roberto Fonseca, will extend its performances to venues in different Cuban provinces, especially Havana, its main venue, and Santiago de Cuba, according to a press conference.
Also participating in the meeting were Samuel Fonseca Martínez, executive director of the Benny Moré Mexico-Cuba Cultural Center; Mario Escalona Serrano, general director of Prelasa; and Norma Rodríguez Derivet, cultural advisor at the Cuban Embassy in Mexico.
The organizers emphasized that Jazz Plaza has established itself as the most important event of its kind in the Caribbean nation, bringing together prestigious international figures and young talents each year in spaces that foster creativity, musical diversity, and dialogue between cultures.
According to reports, among the most anticipated offerings of the 2026 edition is an inaugural concert by maestro Frank Fernández, a symbol of Cuban piano, alongside students from the country’s art schools, on January 25 at the National Theater of Cuba.
Also considered top-notch performances are the concerts promised by pianists Ernán López-Nussa and Dayramir González, as well as composer and guitarist Héctor Quintana.
During the festival, a special tribute will be paid to the legendary Arsenio Rodríguez Group, and performances by Havana D’Primera, Alain Pérez, Isaac Delgado, and other renowned artists are expected.
The event will also include a wide range of musical genres, as was the case in the last edition, where more than 400 artists and five symphony orchestras participated.
The official poster for this 41st edition of Jazz Plaza is the work of maestro Sosabravo, one of Cuba’s greatest visual artists, who will celebrate his 95th birthday on October 25.
During her address, Norma Rodríguez Derivet, Cultural Counselor at the Cuban Embassy in Mexico, recalled that Cuba is known as “the Island of Music” and emphasized that, despite the difficulties imposed by the U.S. blockade, the Festival remains a space of resistance and international outreach.
He noted that the embargo has limited the participation of musicians from other countries, such as Puerto Rico, who will not be able to attend this time, although he reaffirmed the desire to maintain the diversity and spirit of unity that characterizes the event.
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