Snarky Puppy - Somni World Tour 2026

GRAMMY-WINNING GENRE-BLENDING BAND SNARKY PUPPY TO PERFORM IN RIGA
 

Music rooted in the jazz tradition yet freely crossing stylistic boundaries, blending the groove of funk and the directness of rhythm and blues in a contemporary sound. With precisely this musical signature, five-time Grammy Award winners Snarky Puppy return to the Palladium concert hall on September 7 after a two-year break. In today’s jazz fusion landscape, the ensemble is regarded as one of the genre’s key reference points, and their performances around the world draw large audiences, as proven during their previous visit to Riga, when concert tickets sold out within just a few days.

Tickets go on sale February 19 at 10:00 via the Biļešu Serviss network. Members of the Positivus Festival and FBI Concert Club will have access to presale starting February 18 at 10:00.

The group’s origins date back to 2004, when bassist and composer Michael League formed it as a collective of like-minded musicians from the University of North Texas jazz studies program. Their quiet beginnings were followed by a decisive turning point, an encounter with the gospel and R&B scene in Dallas, where Snarky Puppy’s sound gained new colors, becoming groovier, more direct, and more emotionally charged. It was during this period that the group’s core lineup took shape: Robert "Sput" Searight on drums, Bobby Sparks on keyboards, and the late Shaun Martin on keyboards.

Snarky Puppy’s musical thinking is rooted in a dialogue between tradition and the present. Their creative language draws from funk, rhythm and blues, jazz and fusion, the emotional intensity of gospel, the depth of soul, and the energy of rock, yet these elements never become ends in themselves. "Snarky Puppy has always been a band where the most important thing is the music," emphasizes Michael. It is not a jazz band in the classical sense, nor a "fusion" group, and certainly not a "jam band." As New York Times journalist Nate Chinen aptly put it, "Take them for what they are, rather than judge them for what they’re not."

Their latest album "Somni", which also lends its name to the upcoming tour, was created in collaboration with Metropole Orkest, a Netherlands-based ensemble known for bridging jazz, classical, and popular music. Although the album is entirely instrumental, it stands out for its deeply emotional language. Each composition explores a facet of the dream state, shifting identity, surreal logic, the fragile illusion of intimacy, and the peculiar emotional traces that linger after waking.

Snarky Puppy’s concert in Riga will be a true event for jazz lovers, both those just beginning their journey into jazz and seasoned listeners alike. It will be an opportunity to experience live one of the most significant ensembles in contemporary jazz, whose musicianship is grounded in exceptional technical mastery and precise interplay. This is music that unites complex form with direct expression and speaks to the listener without pretense.

More information: https://snarkypuppy.com