Forget quiet nights in, London’s about to swing. The EFG London Jazz Festival returns this Friday, 14 November, lighting up the city with ten days of live music, late-night jams, and world-class artists. From global legends to the next generation of UK talent, this is London’s biggest celebration of jazz, and one of its most thrilling annual festivals, full stop.
This year’s theme is boundaries don’t exist. Expect everything from classic big-band glamour to experimental grooves, soul, spoken word and full-blown cross-genre chaos taking place across 60+ venues and 300+ performances citywide.
Things kick off with The Jazz Social at Citypoint, just by the Barbican, a pop-up bar, venue and record store that’s basically the festival’s beating heart. Drop in for intimate gigs, vinyl pop-ups, and drop-by sessions all week. Highlights include spoken word artist Sophia Thakur (11 Nov), cellist-composer Ayanna Witter-Johnson (12 Nov, already sold out), and rising star Elysia Biro (15 Nov).
Friday’s official opening night belongs to Aja Monet, the festival’s Artist in Residence, performing her spellbinding blend of jazz and poetry at the Barbican alongside guests Ganavya, Sheila Maurice-Grey, and Yahael Camara-Onono. Across the river, the Jazz Voice gala at the Southbank Centre brings together Dee Dee Bridgewater, Tanita Tikaram, Stella Cole, and Jacqui Dankworth, all backed by Guy Barker’s 44-piece orchestra: a full-throttle celebration of jazz vocals and legacy.
From there, the weekend is a whirlwind. Sam Amidon teams up with Beth Orton at Union Chapel, Joan As Police Woman brings her soulful cool to EartH Theatre, Kurt Elling joins The Yellowjackets at Cadogan Hall, and Mulatu Astatke, the godfather of Ethio-jazz, fills Royal Festival Hall (and, yes, sadly it’s already sold out).
Across the city, you’ll find free lunchtime sets, late-night jams, record fairs, artist talks and surprise collaborations, the kind that could only happen at this festival. It’s a week and a half where London itself becomes a jazz stage: big, bold, and beautifully unpredictable.
The EFG London Jazz Festival runs 14–23 November, with events across the Barbican, Southbank Centre, Union Chapel, KOKO, EartH, HERE at Outernet and more.
Full programme and tickets are available on the EFG website.
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