LDF heads to the jazzahead! 2026 jazz fair

Next week the Lithuanian Jazz Union is heading to the jazzahead! fair in Germany!

jazzahead! is Europe's most important international jazz networking event. Every year it brings together some 3,300 delegates from 66 countries, representing a wide range of fields – musicians, event organisers, record labels, agencies, festivals and more – and welcomes around 25,000 visitors. Since the first fair in 2006, jazzahead! has grown into a major cultural event which, alongside the four-day fair, now also includes a cultural festival in Bremen and the surrounding region. The international music fair, with its integrated showcase festival, focuses mainly on jazz, while the festival in Bremen is aimed at a wider audience.

The Lithuanian Jazz Union, which promotes Lithuanian jazz and jazz culture, is a regular participant at jazzahead!. This year a 12-strong delegation of jazz performers, professionals and jazz promoters will travel to the fair:

• Dmitrij Golovanov – pianist, educator, programme director of the club „Jazz Cellar 11”, President of the Lithuanian Jazz Union.

• Dorotėja Būdaitė – Executive Director of „Vilnius JJAZZ Ensemble”, project manager of Vilniaus kolegija's Menų ir mokslo (Arts and Science), Chair of the Board of the Lithuanian Jazz Union.

• Tadas Pasaravičius – saxophonist, creative strategist, organiser of „Jazz Craft Summer Camp”, member of the Board of the Lithuanian Jazz Union.

• Dovydas Šulskis – drummer, member of the Board of the Lithuanian Jazz Union.

• Karolis Šarkus – saxophonist, composer, arranger, member of the Board of the Lithuanian Jazz Union, lecturer at Vilniaus kolegija and teacher at the Vilnius B. Dvarionas Ten-Year School of Music.

• Veronika ChiChi – jazz singer, composer, lecturer at Vilniaus kolegija.

• Jievaras Jasinskis – composer, arranger, trombonist and Artistic Director of „Vilnius JJAZZ Ensemble”.

• Lukrecija Penkauskaitė – singer and composer, social media manager of the Lithuanian Jazz Union.

• Donatas Petreikis – saxophonist, composer, arranger.

• Ieva Pakalniškytė – music critic, jazz researcher, cultural communication expert.

• Viktorija Pilatovic – jazz singer, composer, recording artist with the „PKmusik” and „Inner Circle Music” labels, lecturer at „Berklee” and „Musikene”.

• Laima Slepkovaitė – jazz critic and LRT radio presenter, member of the „Euroradio” jazz community.