Here Are The Jazz Festivals To Visit In 2024, In The UK & Beyond
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3 months ago
Jazzy festivals to visit this summer
Whether you’re a die-hard jazz fan or merely looking to appreciate good music in beautiful surroundings, there are plenty of jazz festivals to quench your thirst. Here are our favourites for 2024, from the UK and beyond.
Best Jazz Festivals 2024
Cheltenham Jazz Festival
One of Europe’s largest jazz festivals will return to Cheltenham next spring – and the first few performers have already been revealed. Jack Savoretti, UB40 and Morcheeba will all take to the Cheltenham Big Top, while Dee Dee Bridgewater, Snarky Puppy, Courtney Pine, Orchestra Baobab and Nubyian Twist will also make the trip to the pretty city.
Details: 1–6 May 2024 at Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham. cheltenhamfestivals.com
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EFG London Jazz Festival
The annual London Jazz Festival is the largest of its kind in Europe, with over 300 shows across more than 70 venues drawing over 100,000 in live audiences. Taking place annually since 1992, performers and audiences flock from across the globe to be part of it, and the line-up is jam packed with world-class events across London. Stay tuned for the 2024 details.
Details: 15–24 November 2024 across London. efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk
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Cross The Tracks
This one-day London jazz festival is all about culture, music and community. Taking over south London’s Brockwell Park, 2024 will see the fifth annual edition of this vibrant festival, featuring the likes of Erykah Badu, Madlib (DJ), Venna, Iniko, Neal Francis, Brainstory and Yazmin Lacey (DJ) on the jam-packed line up. Plus, more than 70 food trucks will keep you fuelled up, and local traders will set up stores selling artisan wares, too. Souvenir?
Details: 26 May 2024 in Brockwell Park (London SE24 0NG). xthetracks.com
Iford Manor Jazz Festival
Iford Manor is a lovely, historic venue with a fledgling jazz festival launched just a few years ago. Curated by multi-award-winning jazz vocalist Claire Martin OBE, the programme is filled with acclaimed jazz artists from all over the world alongside rising stars. The 2024 series includes an evening with Elaine Delmar, a Scandi jazz evening starring special guest vocalist Ian Shaw, a lue Note Special from QCBA, and two delicious three-course lunches accompanied by two 45 minute sets from The Karen Sharp Trio. Divine.
Details: 20–23 June 2024 in Bradford-on-Avon. ifordmanor.co.uk
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Love Supreme Jazz Festival
Venture to East Sussex’s beautiful Glynde Place next summer for the 11th edition of the Love Supreme Music Festival. In 2023, the 10th edition was the biggest line-up to date, and was the UK’s only major music festival for 2023 with an all-women headliner bill. Grace Jones, Little Simz, Candi Staton, Emeli Sande, Shalamar, Courtney Pine and many more performed, alongside a wellness and yoga area, organised hill walks across the South Downs, talks and panels, film screenings, and DJs late into the night. Details for 2024 are gradually being revealed, with Chaka Khan, Mahalia, Black Pumas and Kool & The Gang all on the bill. Stay tuned for the latest.
Details: 5–7 July 2024 at Glynde Place, East Sussex. lovesupremefestival.com
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Brick Lane Jazz Festival
London based jazz fan? This music scene is thriving in the British capital, and Brick Lane Jazz Festival is the annual event showcasing all things London jazz. The 2024 line-up has been unveiled, with Oscar Jerome, Theo Croker, Ojerime and Ego Ella May topping the bill, with an additional DJ line-up to enjoy.
Details: 26–28 April 2024 across 10 venues around Brick Lane, London, centred on The Truman Brewery (91 Brick Ln, London E1 6QR). bricklanejazzfestival.com
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North Sea Jazz Festival
A hub for music fans and professionals alike, Rotterdam’s North Sea Jazz Festival features workshops, panels and exhibitions alongside over 1,000 artists spanning jazz, blues, soul and funk. Established in 1976, the 2023 edition featured Stormzy, Tom Jones, Janelle Monae, Seal and Lizzo, among many more.
Details: 12–14 July 2024 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. northseajazz.com
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Umbria Jazz
Founded in 1973 by Italian music producer Carlo Pagnotta, Umbria Jazz celebrated 50 years in 2023. With blues, soul and Latin music alongside jazz, enjoy established artists and newcomers in the stunning surroundings of Perugia next summer. With a key focus on sustainability, opportunities for emerging artists to learn more, and plenty for little ones to get up to, too, this is a truly wholesome jazz festival.
Details: 12–21 July 2024 in Perugia, Italy. umbriajazz.it
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Sani Festival
Jazz in sunny Greece? Sounds ideal. This festival is as kind on the eyes as it is the ears: situated on Sani Hill, where the sea, sky and greenery all meet against the dramatic backdrop of the ruined Byzantine tower and the Aegean Sea. Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2023, what started as a small jazz festival has transformed into one of the country’s foremost cultural institutions. Making the most of warm summer nights, Sani Festival was headlined by Andrea Bocelli in 2023, with the line-up incorporating rock and pop into the itinerary for the first time. Tom Odell, Bonnie Tyler, Sarah Brightman, Chucho Valdés, Paquito D’Rivera, Al Di Meola, Jack Savoretti, and Bob Geldof all performed, as well as a plethora of Greek legends.
Details: Dates TBC (2023’s edition took place from 15 July–26 August) at Sani Hill, Kassandra, Greece. sani-resort.com
Jazz in Marciac
This small-town jazz festival draws local and international jazz musicians to southwestern France for two weeks of escapism. Famously relaxed and welcoming, expect workshops, masterclasses and exhibitions alongside performances from the likes of Norah Jones, Samara Joy and Gregory Porter.
Details: 18 July–4 August 2024 in Marciac, France. jazzinmarciac.com
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We Out Here
Having moved to a new home for 2023 – from Abbots Ripton, Cambridge to Dorset – We Out Here is billed as a jazz festival ‘for everyone’, the brainchild of British DJ Giles Peterson. The inaugural 2019 festival was an instant success, with a stellar line-up spanning not just jazz but house, disco, soul, drum ‘n’ bass and more. In 2023, Ezra Collective, Knucks, Nia Archives and Róisín Murphy all performed, and the 2024 lineup is looking just as stellar: Floating Points, Mount Kimbie, Ebo Taylor & The Family Band, and CASSISDEAD will all perform. Elsewhere you’ll find ‘The Escape’, which hosts mindfulness workshops, yoga and art therapy, a wild swimming lake, plenty of cultural offerings and excellent food.
Details: 15–18 August 2024 in Wimborne St Giles, Dorset. weoutherefestival.com
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Flow Festival
Founded in 2004 as a small jazz and soul event, Flow Festival has grown into a key player on the European music festival scene. Wizkid, Blur and FKA Twigs all performed in summer 2023, alongside a cultural programme of talks and art. In 2024, Fred Again tops the bill, with Pulp, The Smile, PJ Harvey and Jessie Ware all on the lineup. Flow has impressive eco-credits too, being one of the world’s first carbon-neutral festivals.
Details: 9–11 August 2024 in Helsinki, Finland. flowfestival.com
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Green Room
Set in a medieval barn in the countryside village of Lenham, this brand new festival brought world-class musicians to intimate and unusual spaces to give audiences authentic performance experiences. The Pasedena Roof Orchestra opened the inaugural festival on Friday 1 September 2023, with classical performances on Saturday from world-renowned performers, and swing from jazz vocalist Clare Teal with The Clare Teal Four on Sunday, all enjoyed with a local glass of wine from Balfour Winery, or beer or cider from Jake’s Drinks. Stay tuned for all the 2024 details.
Details: 30 August–1 September 2024 in Lenham, Kent. greenroomconcerts.com
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