A Brief History of the Festival:

DjangoFest Northwest was founded in 2000 to honor the legacy of Django Reinhardt and bring the spirit of Gypsy jazz to North America. The festival was launched 25 years ago on the 47th anniversary of Django’s passing, inspired by the original French festival. Since then, DjangoFest NW has found a home on Whidbey Island, Washington, and has grown into the largest and most celebrated Django-focused festival in North America. Each year, we continue to honor founder Nick Lehr with the annual Nick Lehr Memorial Djam and welcome world-class artists and enthusiastic audiences from around the world.

The 2026 artist lineup features a mix of prominent international headliners, national gypsy jazz musicians, and regional favorites.

International Headliners
• Gizmo Graf (Festival Headliner)
• Gonzalo Bergara
• Tim Kliphuis

National Talent
• John Jorgenson
• Leah Zeger Quartet (performing with Pinot Noir)
• Jimmy Grant, Sam Farthing, & Simon Planting
• Stella Heath (introduced from Mill Valley)

Local & Regional Talent
• Pearl Django
• Hot Club of Troy (featuring Troy Chapman)
• Eric Vanderbilt-Mathews All Stars
• James Hinkley & Cafe Impromptu