Opening Gala: Jazz Voice

Opening Gala: Jazz Voice kicks off the EFG London Jazz Festival at Royal Festival Hall on Friday 13 November, the festival's opening night. It's a big vocal showcase: six soloists — Lizz Wright, Emma Smith, Marvin Muoneké, Liv Warfield, Rita Wilson and James Emmanuel — all backed by the EFG London Jazz Festival Orchestra, with Guy Barker arranging and conducting. Jumoké Fashola hosts the evening.

The night is part of the EFG Elements Series, where the festival and its title sponsor EFG pick three shows they feel show off the richness and diversity of the whole programme. It's a returning format, and critics have been on board with it: The Telegraph called it the best way to launch the country's most lavish jazz festival, and The Arts Desk gave it four stars, describing it as 'a gorgeous wall of sound, heartfelt artistry and musical camaraderie'.

It's the start of the 34th edition of the festival, which runs for ten days across 82 venues with 332 shows, produced by Serious, who started the whole thing back in 1992. This year's festival turns on the centenary of John Coltrane, born in 1926, a theme that threads through the rest of the programme as well.

Doors open at 19:00 and the music starts at 19:30 at Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Tickets are £48 to £100.50 including fees.