Jazz festivals in the UK

From Brighton to Glasgow, the festivals that shape the live jazz calendar across the UK. Find out when and where they take place and follow their gigs on our What's On listings.

Southport Jazz Festival

Southport · Late January to early February

A winter jazz festival held in the seaside resort of Southport, offering a programme of live jazz in the quieter early-year season.

Liverpool International Jazz Festival

Liverpool · Late February

A February festival centred on The Capstone Theatre in Liverpool, focused on contemporary instrumental jazz from international artists.

Aberdeen Jazz Festival

Aberdeen · March

A springtime jazz festival across venues in Aberdeen, presented by the Jazz Scotland organisation with 30-plus events each year.

Brilliant Corners (Belfast Jazz)

Belfast · March

A week-long Belfast jazz festival presented by Moving On Music, blending live performances with film and workshops.

Bristol Jazz Festival

Bristol · Spring

A city-based jazz festival bringing world-class jazz to Bristol and the South West across a spring programme of concerts.

Nantwich Jazz & Blues Festival

Nantwich · Easter weekend

A sprawling Easter-weekend festival filling the pubs and venues of the Cheshire market town of Nantwich with jazz, blues and more.

Cheltenham Jazz Festival

Cheltenham · Late April to early May

One of the UK's flagship jazz festivals, staged over the spring bank holiday in Cheltenham with a hub of tented stages in Montpellier Gardens.

Gateshead / Glasshouse Jazz Festival

Gateshead · Spring

The North East's flagship jazz festival, staged at The Glasshouse (formerly Sage Gateshead) on the Gateshead Quayside — the UK's biggest jazz festival held under one roof.

City of Derry Jazz Festival

Derry / Londonderry · Early May bank holiday

Northern Ireland's largest jazz festival, filling Derry's walled city with music over the early-May bank holiday weekend.

Manchester Jazz Festival

Manchester · Late May

A multi-day city-centre festival showcasing northern, national and international jazz, held across venues throughout Manchester.

Ribble Valley Jazz & Blues

Clitheroe · Early May bank holiday

A jazz and blues festival held over the early-May bank holiday across the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, centred on Clitheroe.

Glasgow Jazz Festival

Glasgow · Mid-June

Scotland's largest city-centre jazz celebration, held each June across Glasgow with concerts, late-night sessions and free events.

Upton Jazz Festival

Upton-upon-Severn · Late June

A traditional and swing-focused jazz festival held each June in the riverside town of Upton-upon-Severn in Worcestershire.

Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival

Edinburgh · Mid-to-late July

One of Europe's major jazz festivals, held over ten days each July across Edinburgh with more than 130 performances a year.

Love Supreme

Glynde, East Sussex · First weekend of July

A greenfield summer jazz festival held each July in the grounds of Glynde Place in the East Sussex South Downs, billed as Europe's largest outdoor jazz festival.

Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul

Birmingham · Mid-July

A summer festival set in Moseley Park's woodland glade in Birmingham, blending jazz with funk and soul across a three-day weekend.

Swanage Jazz Festival

Swanage · Mid-July

A long-running seaside jazz festival held each July in the Dorset coastal town of Swanage on the Isle of Purbeck.

Brecon Jazz Festival

Brecon · Early-to-mid August

A historic Welsh jazz festival held each August in the market town of Brecon, in the heart of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons).

Bude Jazz Festival

Bude · Late August to early September

A four-day festival on Cornwall's north coast specialising in traditional and New Orleans-style jazz, held each late summer in Bude.

Islay Jazz Festival

Isle of Islay · Mid-September

An intimate island jazz festival held each September on the Hebridean Isle of Islay, famed for its distillery settings.

Lancaster Jazz Festival

Lancaster · September

A September festival spotlighting contemporary jazz from across the UK alongside local and community talent in the city of Lancaster.

Scarborough Jazz Festival

Scarborough · Late September

A weekend jazz festival held each September at the Scarborough Spa on the North Yorkshire coast.

Wall2Wall Jazz Festival

Abergavenny · Late September

An autumn jazz festival in the Welsh market town of Abergavenny, promoted by the Black Mountain Jazz club.

Marsden Jazz Festival

Marsden · Mid-October

A community-rooted jazz festival held each October in the Pennine village of Marsden in West Yorkshire.

London Jazz Festival

London · Mid-to-late November

Europe's largest metropolitan jazz festival, spanning ten days each November across more than 60 venues throughout London.

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