FREE STATE JAZZ FESTIVAL
A free, accessible journey of discovery through contemporary jazz culture
Saturday 17 October 2026
The Hague certainly isn’t lacking in jazz, but it does lack a place where all those diverse jazz worlds truly come together. On October 17, 2026, The Hague’s Popdistrict will transform into one big, free-to-attend journey of discovery through contemporary jazz culture. Not confined to a fenced-off area, not trapped by a dusty image, and certainly not confined to a single definition of jazz.
Free State Jazz brings together the raw and multifaceted sides of jazz in the heart of the city. From energetic dance floors to intimate listening spaces, from outrageous live shows to pure improvisation, and from the established scene to the newest generation of musicians. Four venues—Grote Markt in The Hague, GR8, Wijnbar September, and Poppodium de Zwarte Ruiter—each with its own character, come together to tell a single story: about a musical style that defies categorization.
Wander freely from stage to stage. Whether you’re a curious listener or a seasoned enthusiast, this is for anyone who loves to be surprised off the beaten path.
Performances by SANDERS / VINSON / HUTCHINSON, GUY SALAMON GROUP and BEN VAN GELDER TRIO are scheduled at GR8 Theater.
Claim your free ticket here.
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SANDERS / VINSON / HUTCHINSON
GR8 Theater 20:00 - 20:45
American bassist Joe Sanders has been in demand for years, having played with Gerald Clayton, Kendrick Scott and Ben Wendel, among others. At Gr8 Theater he performs in a trio with saxophonist Wil Vinson and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, both of whom have built impressive careers of their own. They give each other room, push each other higher, and let contrasts exist side by side: beautiful melodies and experimental sounds, a dark mood and then a cheerful one. Stay alert, because who knows, there might be magic in the air again.
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GUY SALAMON GROUP
Gr8 Theater 21:15 - 22:00
Guy Salamon is an award winning jazz drummer, composer, arranger, recording artist, and bandleader based in Amsterdam, known for his idiosyncratic view of jazz and humorous, melancholic music. With his striking quintet, he brings music that defies all genre boundaries: from contemporary jazz and Scandinavian nursery rhymes to punk, Irish jigs, and free improvisation. Creating a sound that is simultaneously chaotic and cohesive, or better described by national newspaper NRC as: “Caleidoscopische, geniale gekte van de jazzdrummer en componist Guy Salamon. Zijn composities van swing, punk naar polka zwieren rond in een zweefmolen vol muzikale vrolijkheid.”
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BEN VAN GELDER TRIO
GR8 Theater 22:30 - 23:15
Ben van Gelder is regarded, both nationally and internationally, as a super talent. As a teenager he already won major awards, including the Prinses Christina Concours, the Stan Getz/Clifford Brown Fellowship and the Deloitte Jazz Award. At seventeen he moved to New York, where he lived for nearly ten years and worked with world-class musicians such as Joe Sanders and Ambrose Akinmusire. There he developed a recognisable style as a soloist and composer. Alongside music, Van Gelder also studied art history, and images and stories often form the framework of his work. For the North Sea Jazz Composition Commission 2026, for example, he created a tribute to singer Abbey Lincoln, taking her philosophy of music as a healing force as his starting point.
For this occasion he performs in a trio with Ton Felices (double bass) and Wouter Kühne (drums). This line-up, without a harmonic instrument, was a way for Sonny Rollins, among others, to find freedom, contrast and tension within existing forms. Part of the concert is therefore a tribute to this music legend, who passed away last year.
