The 2026 Amelia Island Jazz Festival (AIJF) is coming up soon and the lineup is getting attention.
“It’s going to be a very exciting eight days of world class jazz here on Amelia Island, when our annual festival will be headlined by The Four Freshmen, a legendary and dazzling vocal group, plus international sensation, multi-instrumentalist Gunhild Carling at the 2026 Amelia Island Jazz Festival, Oct. 4-11,” said Festival Artistic Director Les DeMerle. “We are thrilled to have these acclaimed artists with us for what will be a full week of exceptional, diverse jazz.”
The Four Freshmen bring an unforgettable blend of energy, artistry and timeless vocal harmony to the stage.
“From the moment they begin, their dynamic performance and rich repertoire of classic favorites and contemporary selections captivate audiences of all ages,” DeMerle added.
The Four Freshmen pioneered close-harmony jazz vocals with pop sophistication, reshaping how male vocal quartets sounded. Known for playing their own instruments and for their complex, brass-inspired voicings, they have influenced acts from the Beach Boys to Manhattan Transfer. Decades on, their inventive arrangements and smooth style keep them a touchstone for harmony-rich vocal music.
Gunhild Carling is “a world-renowned Swedish jazz musician, singer-songwriter and vaudeville-style entertainer with more than 70 million views across YouTube, Facebook and beyond.”
Known for her extraordinary versatility, she is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, performing on trumpet (sometimes three at a time), trombone, bagpipes, piano, harp, harmonica, recorder, flute and ukulele.
The Four Freshman will appear Oct. 9 and Gunhild Carling Oct. 10 respectively in the Grand Ballroom at the Courtyard / Springhill Suites by Marriott at 2700 Atlantic Ave. near Main Beach. After each of these shows the now famous AIJF late night jam sessions will take place at Mocama Beer Company, 629 8th St. led by the pianist Rory Ames, 2026 AIJF Scholarship Winner with the Next Generation Jazz Band.
Free admission is included with purchase of a headline show ticket.
The festival will kick off a full week of shows Sunday, Oct. 4, with its traditional free concert at the Rec Center, 2500 Atlantic Ave., featuring the 21-piece UNF Jazz Ensemble 2 with special guests, directed by Dennis Marks.
Other events include the AIJF Sponsor Party Monday, Oct. 5; Jazz & Wine Tasting at The Decantery on Turesday, Oct. 6; Jump Jive and Wail Swing night Wednesday, Oct. 7, with the Dynamic Les DeMerle Little Big Band and soulful vocalist Bonnie Eisele at Sadler Ranch, 869 Sadler Road; and on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 8, a Down Home Blues & Gumbo Show with blues guitarist Bill Wharton, aka the “Sauce Boss,” who will not only be serving up hot blues but also his patented special gumbo at Story and Song Center for Arts & Culture, 1430 Park Ave., and that evening the popular Latin Jazz Dance and Concert with the VG Latin Band, also at Sadler Ranch.
The festival will close with a New Orleans show, second line style, on Sunday, Oct. 11, presenting the traditional Dixie to Swing Jazz Brunch with The Spare Rib Six, a group that includes DeMerle and Eisele featuring special guest, trumpet legend Longineu Parsons.
For a full list of performance schedule and to purchase tickets, go to ameliaislandjazzfestival.com. A not for profit 501(c)(3) corporation, the Amelia Island Jazz Festival, distributes proceeds toward educational programs including a scholarship program to fund college educations for aspiring jazz musicians.
