London Welcomes The EFG Jazz Festival

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Step into the vibrant world of jazz as the curtains rise tonight on the much-anticipated opening night of this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival. The best jazz musicians from across the world will converge, transforming London’s gig venues, clubs, theatres, and bars into vibrant hubs of jazz. Secure your tickets now for an unforgettable experience.

The inaugural note will be struck at the Southbank Centre for the SOLD OUT opening gala, Jazz Voice, where a selection of iconic vocalists will perform, handpicked by arranger and conductor Guy Barker to celebrate the previous 15 years of the curtain raiser. The singers gracing the stage will be China Moses, Omar, Brendan Reilly, Judi Jackson, Naomi Banks, Vanessa Haynes, and Clarke Peters, as well as very special guest Emeli Sandé who also plays a sold out headline show at the Royal Festival Hall tomorrow.

At other venues across the capital tonight, the father of Ethio-jazz Mulatu Atstake performs a sold-out show at the Barbican to celebrate his 80th birthday. Japanese band GOAT will bring their minimalist, percussive sound to Kings Place. For those wanting to party late into the night, BBC Radio 3’s J to Z returns to PizzaExpress Live for the raucous opening night party, hosted by Jumoké Fashola.

Saturday night will see award-winning composer and saxophonist YolanDa Brown’s reggae jazz fusion enchant Cadogan Hall, while Makaya McCraven – whose SOLD OUT show is already being touted as a festival highlight – returns to the festival with music from his breakout album, “In These Times”, performed alongside the London Contemporary Orchestra at the Barbican.

As the EFG London Jazz Festival unfolds over the next 10 days, Sunday 12 November welcomes accomplished singer-songwriter Judi Jackson to the Queen Elizabeth Hall, who is sure to deliver a soul-stirring performance rooted in the Great American Songbook. Elsewhere, Omeara in Southwark will host a vital contributor to the London jazz scene, Ife Ogunjobi.

The first weekend continues to crescendo with saxophonist and composer Joshua Redman playing a much anticipated set from his new album “Where Are We” alongside his star-studded live band and vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa. The Cookers close the first weekend at Cadogan Hall with their all-star cast of Billy Harper (tenor saxophone), Billy Hart (drums), Cecil McBee (bass), David Weiss (trumpet), Donald Harrison (alto saxophone), Eddie Henderson (trumpet) and George Cables (piano).

This opening weekend is just a taste of the fantastic shows across various venues during the EFG London Jazz Festival. A stellar lineup awaits, featuring sold out shows from virtuosic Japanese pianist Hiromi, internationally renowned Brazilian artist Sergio Mendes, and the highly anticipated return of Charles Lloyd with his Ocean Trio. The Barbican’s closing weekend will showcase a live reiteration of the London Brew project, a fusion of Miles Davis’s iconic “Bitches Brew,” with original musicians and a post-show DJ set by Alex Rita and Naima Adams. To close the festival on the second Sunday, Esperanza Spalding, Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Ravi Coltrane will perform alongside the Philharmonia conducted by Clark Rundell to celebrate The Symphonic Music of Wayne Shorter at the Royal Festival Hall, paying tribute to the iconic composer on what would have been his 90th birthday. Over the next 10 days, London will be buzzing with club gigs, late-night events, free shows, and surprise collaborations.