Concert information
| Festival | North Sea Jazz Festival |
| Date | 07/12/2026 (also see 07/10/2026 and 07/11/2026) |
| Venue | Ahoy |
| City | Rotterdam |
| Country | The Netherlands |
| Line-up (witnessed) | Youssou N’Dour, SML, Shabaka, KWN, Pat Metheny Side-Eye III+, Charles Lloyd Quartet, Orginal Koffee, Giveon, Nate Smith, Ally Venable, Terence Blanchard & Ravi Coltrane, Closing Professionals Jam |
Rating
Day 3 of my favourite festival.
The day got off to a great start with Youssou N’Dour. Then came the biggest surprise of the festival for me: SML. I had never heard of them before, but their combination of repetition, electronics, samples, live instrumentation and extended passages was utterly hypnotic. The performance embodied everything you could hope for: excitement, abrasive musical passages that kept things compelling, combined with genuine innovation. A concert I won’t forget anytime soon!
Shabaka followed with another stunning performance. Unfortunately, the next two concerts were disappointing. KWN (who clearly had their own fan club in attendance) failed to impress with bland R&B and an unremarkable voice. Pat Metheny then delivered a set of limp yacht rock that was downright sleep-inducing.
After a moving performance by the Charles Lloyd (now 88 years old!) Quartet, I headed to Original Koffee. Reggae at North Sea Jazz, great! Unfortunately, it turned out to be dancehall rather than reggae, and not particularly good dancehall at that. The main hall was far too prestigious a stage for a band that brought nothing original or fresh.
Next up was American singer Giveon, who fills arenas in his home country with his ultra-slick show, but at North Sea Jazz the audience quickly began heading for the exits. The reason? The bass was so overpowering that even the video screens were shaking. Giveon’s voice is predictable and too limited, while his repertoire consists almost entirely of ballads, not exactly a style that can hold an audience’s attention for long. Giveon would have been much better suited to one of the smaller venues; the main stage was far too large for him.
Thankfully, Nate Smith was there to restore the balance with an exhilarating blend of soul, funk, R&B and jazz. So it is possible. Afterwards I wandered past the Mississippi stage and heard something familiar. It turned out to be Prince’s Plectrumelectrum, performed with tremendous energy. Guitarist Ally Venable delivered an impressive solo before launching straight into a passionate rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s Fire. A wonderful surprise!
Terence Blanchard & Ravi Coltrane paid a beautiful tribute to Miles Davis and John Coltrane, both of whom would have celebrated their 100th birthdays in 2026. Afterwards, the Closing Professionals Jam provided a fitting finale to three days of North Sea Jazz, with reggae played exactly as it should be.
Just like on the previous two days, I skipped several performances because I had already seen the artists before (at North Sea Jazz), including Maria Schneider, Dee Dee Bridgewater, John Legend, and Nile Rodgers & Chic.
I had no interest in Frenna’s performance. I do regret, however, missing Hiromi’s Sonicwonder.
| Artist | Seen whole show? | Rating |
| Youssou N’Dour | Nee |  |
| SML | Ja |  |
| Shabaka | Nee |  |
| KWN | Nee |  |
| Pat Metheny Side-Eye III+ | Nee | |
| Charles Lloyd Quartet | Nee | |
| Orginal Koffee | Nee |  |
| Giveon | Nee | |
| Nate Smith | Nee | |
| Ally Venable | Nee | |
| Terence Blanchard & Ravi Coltrane | Nee | |
| Closing Professionals Jam | Ja | |
Concert ticket
North Sea Jazz Poster Competition 2026
North Sea Jazz Festival 2026 Poster Competition 1st-Prize
