Djabe & Steve Hackett live in Vienna (5 February 2026) – report

Djabe & Steve Hackett: Freya Winter Tour 2026

Concert report Vienna, Porgy & Bess, 5 February 2026

Steve Hackett and Djabe. The collaboration with the Hungarian jazz/fusion group has now been going on for over 20 years. For a good 10 years, this has included short annual tours, usually just a handful of shows. Ohers in the Genesis cosmos would call it "A Selection of Shows." The shows are usually played in the summer months, almost always in Budapest, often in Györ, sometimes in Slovakia and Czechia, and very often in Vienna.

The author of this report missed the first of these Vienna performances at Reigen and Porgy & Bess. Later, a pandemic put a stop to the concerts. In 2021, Steve was at least a guest on the Djabe Show in Vienna via Zoom. In 2022, it finally worked out, and again in 2023, both times at Porgy & Bess. And then it was over again, because the club was now closed for the summer break in August, just during the summer dates of Djabe and Hackett in the following two years.

Vienna's Porgy & Bess Club

In 2026, things were different again. Vienna was on the tour schedule, but not in the summer, but in February, which was fitting for their current joint album, Freya – Arctic Jam. The venue remained the same, Porgy & Bess, Vienna's premier jazz venue, an established club with a great program that also regularly features fusion and prog. Once you enter the establishment on Riemergasse, not far from Stephansplatz, you first have to queue up to pick up your reserved tickets at the box office, which is always a little nerve-wracking because you only find out then which seat you've been assigned. However, with a capacity of 350 people, this isn't a big problem because you're always close to the stage here, whether you're in the front row or the gallery.

After another stop at the cloakroom, we head down the stairs and lo and behold, the Djabe musicians and Steve have already made themselves comfortable on leather sofas next to the merch table. Well, actually, they are here to sign autographs before the concert. tTey did the same thing at their last performances here. The line of people asking for autographs and selfies is already considerable, and it won't let up until just before the concert. Steve is naturally the busiest, with people mainly holding up Genesis records for him to sign. He handles this patiently and kindly, as he does requests for photos (for the sake of transparency: the author has his copy of Steve's autobiography and the Quiet World CD signed – "ah, that one," he says, he probably sees it less often than the Selling one…).

Once in the auditorium (where you sit at small tables and enjoy drinks served in glasses, but table service is suspended during the concert), there is a surprise: Jo Hackett is sitting directly behind the reviewer, engaged in lively conversation, first with fans, then with a guest of the band, an organizer of the Bodø Jazz Open, who, by inviting Djabe and Steve to the festival, had given them the opportunity to jam the album Freya near the Arctic Circle.

Shortly before 8:30 p.m., the scheduled start time, Djabe make their way to the backstage entrance next to the stage. Steve has also managed to free himself from the autograph hunters and, after a quick chat with Jo, makes his way to the stage – but not before signing a few more precious items. He doesn't seem to need any time for contemplation before the show, because less than five minutes later, he takes the stage after an announcement by club boss Christoph Huber. Djabe usually plays a song on their own before Steve joins them.

Lots of Freya tracks in the set

But this time they start with a Hackett piece: Camino Royale, which has been a regular feature of their joint performances for some time now, with an expansive instrumental section featuring Steve on harmonica. And there's something else that's new: Djabe has grown, with saxophonist Zoltán Zana (who also plays clarinet, etc.) joining the band and expanding its sound spectrum. Áron Koós-Hutás is still part of the band with his trumpet and flugelhorn, as are Péter Kaszás on drums, Zoltán Bubenyák on keyboard, and the two regulars and songwriters: Tamás Barabás on bass and band leader Attila Égerházi on guitar and percussion.

Attila is also the master of ceremonies, announcing the songs and providing a little background information. The focus of this year's set list is on material from Freya. The title track kicks things off, followed by In the Silence. Then, in honor of the band's 30th anniversary celebrated last year, there's a trip back to 2003 and the track Sheafs Are Dancing, from the album of the same name (Hungarian: Táncolnak a kazlak), on which Steve made his first guest appearance. Steve strums along very effectively here, while he sometimes takes a back seat on the Freya tracks, often sitting next to the drums without playing guitar and waiting for his cue.

The Arctic Jams are similar to each other, carried by Tamás Barabás' outstanding bass playing. The instrumentalists deliver their solos one after the other to his groove, passing the solo spot on with eye contact until it's Steve's turn to put his stamp on the pieces. He clearly enjoys it, a smile often flitting across his face, and he frequently makes gestures of appreciation to his fellow musicians.

Hackett and Genesis favorites in the set

With Ace of Wands, the concert really picks up speed; the piece is ideal for this line-up. Sliding Trees, a highlight from the Freya album, follows, and Last Train to Istanbul, a perennial favorite at their joint concerts, concludes the first set. The band leaves the stage for a quarter of an hour and spends the break enjoying a cold drink at Jo's table. Jonas Reingold, a bassist living in Vienna who plays in Hackett's solo band, joins them, and the reviewer overhears a few snippets of conversation that suggest he will probably be taking to the stage later on.

The second part of the concert begins with Buzzy Island, a highlight of the album Life is a Journey, introduced by a percussion intro featuring Steve. Attila Égerházi then announces that they will be working together again in Sardinia in June 2026, meaning that the fruitful studio collaboration between Steve and Djabe will continue. This is followed by another jam-based track from Freya, Stone Age Tea. After Tamás' declaration of love to his little daughter Franciska, the Genesis fans in the audience go wild: In That Quiet Earth, Hairless Heart, the solo section of Firth of Fifth, Carpet Crawlers sung by Péter Kaszás, and Los Endos follow one after the other. Djabe prove themselves to be more than solid interpreters of the material, and the audience (naturally) rewards them with standing ovations.

Jonas Reingold joins the band for an Encore

Tamás Barabás doesn't need to be asked twice and begins the encore with an expansive bass solo. Using a figure running on the looper, he impressively demonstrates his skills, culminating in a furious slap bass interlude reminiscent of Level 42. Then the rest of the band joins in and Attila asks Jonas Reingold to come on stage. He had already taken part in the final jam in 2023, back then in the middle of summer in shorts, but this time he follows his boss's example and wears a scarf. Accompanied by Tamás on bass and cheered on by him, he gets started before the whole band joins in and the concert ends furiously at around 11:15 p.m. After another standing ovation, the musicians immediately return to the audience, where some of them unpack the vinyl records they brought with them. It's going to be a long night for Steve….

All in all

For me, it was the best concert I've seen from this combination so far. Ever since the Sardinia Tapes, the band has become more daring, jamming more uncompromisingly and taking liberties, with the earlier lounge jazz elements being scaled back. And the fact that the Genesis numbers come late in the set shows that they also have confidence in their own material, and rightly so. Still, I wouldn't want to miss them, because although Steve often performs here with Djabe, he very rarely does so with his own band.

Author and Photos: Siegfried Göllner

Setlist:

Set 1:
Camino Royale
Freya
In the Silence
Sheafs are dancing
Ace of Wands
Sliding Trees
Last Train to Istanbul

Set 2:
Clouds Dance
Stone Age Tea
Franciska
…In That Quiet Earth
Hairless Heart
Firth of Fifth
Carpet Crawlers
Los Endos

Encore:
Bass Solo
Jam/Distant Dance (mit Jonas Reingold)

Band:

Steve Hackett: guitar, vocals, harmonica
Tamás Barabás: bass guitar
Attila Égerházi: guitar, percussion
Áron Koós-Hutás: trumpet, flugelhorn
Péter Kaszás: drums, vocals
Zoltán Bubenyák: piano, keyboards
Zoltán Zana: saxophone