NIJI at BIRD – 22 February 2026

Remember that summer when Rotterdam was on fire during North Sea Jazz? One of the names that absolutely tore it up at Ahoy was NIJI. The man behind the keys who slides effortlessly between jazz, hip-hop, gospel and Afrobeat and somehow gets everyone moving like the night will never end.

And guess what: on 22 February 2026 he’s bringing that same fire to BIRD.

NIJI is one of those artists you just can’t box in. Born and raised in East London, shaped in church halls and jazz clubs, then crossing the Atlantic to New York where he even held down the gig as organist for the Knicks at Madison Square Garden (yes, really). But no matter how big the stage, his music feels just as electric in a room where you can see his hands dance across the keys up close.

His latest track A13 Fuji is the perfect teaser: Nigerian roots, heavy grooves and pure jazz chops. But live? That’s when it truly takes off. Expect energy, soul, and that unmistakable NIJI sound, familiar and fresh all at once.

For fans of Fela Kuti, Burna Boy, Bien, Kokoroko, Ezra Collective