If you have ever wanted to experience Ronnie Scott's without the trip into central London, here is your chance. The Ronnie Scott's All Stars are bringing 'The Ronnie Scott's Story' to the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill on Saturday 21 November, and it is a one-off evening rather than a touring stop you can catch elsewhere. The show opens at 19:30, with the venue doors opening at 17:30, so there is plenty of time to settle in before the music starts.
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This is not a standard jazz gig. The performance blends live music with storytelling, rare archive photography and video, tracing the club's history from its early years of financial struggle and frequent police raids to its place on the international jazz scene. The narrative pulls in anecdotes about the club's visitors over the decades — pop stars, filmmakers, politicians, comedians and royalty — and it does not shy away from the darker side of old Soho, including the rumour that the Krays once took Ronnie Scott on 'a little ride'.
The music is played by The Ronnie Scott's All Stars, led by the club's artistic director, James Pearson, who has been the house pianist at Ronnie Scott's since 2006. He is joined by vocalist Natalie Williams, saxophonist Alex Garnett, bassist Sam Burgess and drummer Chris Higginbottom. Together they work through a setlist of classic music associated with jazz legends, woven around stories of wandering musicians, gangsters and police raids. The reviews have been consistently strong: The Observer called them 'outstanding players' and 'a joy to listen to' for their poise, balance and swing, The Guardian described it as 'full-on brilliance', and Jazzwise Magazine noted how the show marries vision and sound.
The venue is worth a mention in its own right. The De La Warr Pavilion is a Grade One listed building that opened in 1935, and it is well set up for access, with parking, ramps, adapted toilets, a lift, accessible galleries, an accessible café and wheelchair spaces in the auditorium. T-Switch induction loops and British Sign Language interpretation are available on request, so it is a genuinely inclusive night out. One thing to plan for: there is no re-entry once you have gone in, so make sure you have everything sorted before you head through the doors.
On price, tickets are £33, £35 or £38 including fees, depending on where you sit. Booking fees apply to online and phone bookings — £3.50 per transaction plus £2 delivery, or free collection at the box office — while booking in person is free, with £2 delivery for UK only. If you are driving, paid parking is available at the Rother District car park until 22:00, and it goes free after that, which takes the pressure off the end of the night. For a one-off evening of world-class jazz on home soil, it is hard to argue with the value.
Published Date
29 October 2026
