Loveland Music Festival 2026 Presents Complete Lineup: The Giants and Innovators of Jazz

When world-class artists and Nordic visionaries gather on the same stage, encounters marked by innovation and collaboration arise. Loveland Music Festival 2026 takes place at Bremen Teater in Copenhagen from November 30 to December 2, offering an international lineup with guitar master Bill Frisell, iconic saxophonist Charles Lloyd, harp pioneer Zeena Parkins, ECM pianist Craig Taborn, and the prominent Danish guitarist Jakob Bro.

This is only the second edition of the Loveland Music Festival, but the curatorial ambition has already put the festival on the map. The idea is to bring together leading musicians from Denmark and around the world to create spontaneous encounters in varied constellations. The festival is built on a spirit of collaboration and delves into experimental, ambient, and new composition music—where genres meet and new expressions emerge.

International Icons, Nordic Visionaries

The 2026 festival gathers prominent names from several countries. In addition to Bill Frisell's distinctive guitar playing and Charles Lloyd's legendary presence, Zeena Parkins will appear, known for her innovative harp work including collaborations with Björk. ECM artist Craig Taborn adds his deep piano playing, while Jakob Bro—a central figure in Danish jazz—leads several of the festival's projects.

Bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, known from Brad Mehldau's trio, constitute a world-class rhythm section in multiple groups. In a unique Nordic initiative, Icelandic musicians Óskar Guðjónsson and Skúli Sverrisson (musical director for Blonde Redhead and Laurie Anderson) perform a rare duo concert, highlighting the festival's taste for exclusive one-time encounters. Norwegian saxophonist Mette Rasmussen, winner of DMA Jazz 2025 and noted for collaborations with Fire! Orchestra and Godspeed You Black Emperor, together with drummer Veslemøy Narvesen, perform both as a duo and in an international big band setting.

Zeena Parkins demonstrates her versatility in solo harp performances and reconnects musically with Danish free-form saxophonist Lotte Anker and experimental composer Mads Emil Nielsen. The open attitude towards interdisciplinary artistic collaboration is a defining part of the festival's profile.

The festival's highlight will be December 1, when Jakob Bro's new work "Dear Marilyn," dedicated to the acclaimed drummer Marilyn Mazur, premieres. Joining are Bill Frisell, Charles Lloyd, Craig Taborn, Larry Grenadier, Jorge Rossy, and a Danish cello trio with Jakob Kullberg, Toke Møldrup, and Henrik Dam Thomsen—embodying the festival's vision of uniting innovation and musical excellence.

• November 30: Jakob Bro, Charles Lloyd, Larry Grenadier, Jorge Rossy; Bill Frisell (solo); Zeena Parkins (solo); Craig Taborn (solo).
• December 1: Skúli Sverrisson & Óskar Guðjónsson duo; Zeena Parkins Trio; Jakob Bro "Dear Marilyn" with Bill Frisell, Charles Lloyd, Craig Taborn, Larry Grenadier, Jorge Rossy, and cellists Jakob Kullberg, Henrik Dam Thomsen, and Toke Møldrup.
• December 2: Bill Frisell & Skúli Sverrisson (duo).

Loveland Music has in a short time strengthened Copenhagen's role as a hub for ambitious musical collaborations. This year's festival program not only highlights in-depth explorations of Scandinavian improvisation and contemporary composition, but also emphasizes the importance of transatlantic artistic exchange.

The festival is arranged by Loveland Music in cooperation with Bremen Teater and is emerging as one of Europe's brightest music events, promising memorable concerts, unusual collaborations, and a celebration of the creative dialogue between jazz, experimental, and contemporary music.