Shortcuts Festival

Jazzwerkstatt Graz's Shortcuts festival focuses on young musical voices at the intersection of jazz, improvisation, and experimental music. Taking place from 26 to 29 November 2026 at StockwerkJazz Graz, this year's edition presents an expanded concept that places talent development, regional networking, and aesthetic openness at its core.

Shortcuts deliberately focuses on emerging musicians whose artistic development is currently in an exploratory stage. The programme features performances by regionally celebrated bands such as Muel and SquarEars, talents from Graz's jazz incubator including Josef Labuda & Teoman Özdogru and the Lampros Lamprousis Quartet, as well as electronic sounds from the young Salzburg heavyweights Chez Fría and the Italian new jazz trio Spoon Baboon

With Shortcuts 2026, the festival offers young musicians a space for experimentation, exchange, and visibility while simultaneously highlighting the significance of improvised music as a contemporary art form.