The main stage for the 36th Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues will be set in the grounds of Holy Trinity Cathedral, when the event is staged on its traditional Melbourne Cup long weekend this year.

However, unlike last year, the cathedral grounds will be a ticketed venue in 2026, as a weekend pass returns for festival-goers.

Passes will give audiences access to all Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November performances across the main stage, as well as those in St Patrick's Hall, and in the Old Baptist Church on the corner of Baker and Docker Streets, which will again be the venue for the Tiny Jazz Series.

Day passes for both Saturday and Sunday are also available.

Children under 18 years will be admitted free when attending with a pass-holding adult, and the main stage in the cathedral grounds will feature family-friendly activities.

The always-popular jazz mass on Sunday 1 November, this year featuring pianist Bob Sedergreen and vocalist Carl Pannuzzo, will remain free to the public.

Tickets for the festival went on sale on Monday, with the full program - featuring acclaimed Australian artists, international influences, and emerging talent, also released to the public.

Early bird pricing will be available until Monday 10 August, with weekend passes available for $125 before the shift to the standard price of $165.

An early bird day pass is $80 for the Saturday ($110 standard), and $65 for the Sunday ($85 standard).

The festival's artistic director, Serge Carnovale, said he was proud of the 2026 program.

He described it as "a bold celebration of Australian jazz and blues that proves just how much talent and heart this festival brings, even in challenging times".

Headline performances will come from The Bamboos featuring Kylie Auldist, and Cookin' on 3 Burners featuring Stella Angelico, alongside acclaimed artists such as Fiona Boyes and The Fortune Tellers, Horns of Leroy featuring THNDO, ISEULA New Orleans Special, Checkerboard Lounge, Frank Sultana Blues Band, and Yunior Terry's Afro-Cuban Roots.

The Tiny Jazz Series will present Lounge of the Flamingo, Gianni Marinucci's Born to be Blue - Celebrating Chet Baker, the Jamie Oehlers Quartet (celebrating John Coltrane's 100th anniversary), Resonance featuring Andrea Keller, Sandy Evans, Kristin Bernardi and Jenny Barnes, and Yunior Terry's Afro-Cuban Roots featuring Natalia Barahona.

Ford Street's St Patrick's Hall will host an opening night party on the Friday with The Shuffle Club (for which tickets are also available), and then feature The Pearly Shells Swing Orchestra with Tamara Kudin on Saturday, and John Hunt's Blue Devils, and Dai, Ciccio! Italian Songbook on Sunday.

The National Jazz Awards will also be held again in conjunction with the festival, this year seeking to find Australia's best young drummer.

Finals of the competition, featuring the top six applicants, will be held on the Sunday of the festival at the Old Baptist Church from 11am.

Participants will be vying for the first prize of $6000 and a recording session at Melbourne's Pughouse Studios, with second prize set at $4000, and third prize $2000.

The festival will again take in Milawa Monday, inviting audiences to extend their weekend with a day of live jazz, local food and wine in the gourmet region.

Presented independently of the festival - and already sold out - is the only jazz performance across the weekend being held at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre, as renowned jazz virtuoso James Morrison meets the Wangaratta Symphony Orchestra on stage.

Tickets to the 2026 Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues are on sale now at www.wangjazzblues.com.au