Inaugural jazz festival showcasing classic and contemporary sounds across six venues in York, culminating in a grand finale with street food and live music.
York Jazz Fest arrives on Thursday 1 October and runs through to Sunday 4 October, four days of jazz spread across six venues in the city. It's billed as the inaugural edition, and the idea behind it is to bring together jazz in all its forms — from the timeless standards to more forward-thinking contemporary sounds — and to put Yorkshire and national talent on the same bill, played in some of the city's grassroots venues.
The geography is one of its hallmarks: every gig is staged across York, with all six venues within a 17-minute walk of each other, and most much closer still. The venues are The Phoenix on George Street, The Arts Barge at Foss Basin, Angel On The Green on Bishopthorpe Road, Young Thugs Studio on Ovington Terrace, The Winning Post on Bishopthorpe Road, and a pop-up festival site at Bishopthorpe Road Car Park.
The weekend reaches its climax on Sunday 4 October with an all-day grand finale at that pop-up site, which turns a car park on Bishopthorpe Road into an open-air hub of live music, rounded out with street food and bars. Promoter Beppe Lombardo says his aim is to bring world-class live music directly into the heart of York's community while leaning on the heritage and intimate charm of the city's independent venues.
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Among the confirmed acts are Alligator Gumbo, who play on Thursday 1 October at 6:00pm, and Joel Whitaker, who launches his album Furniture Music on Saturday 26 September — a few days before the main festival kicks off. Tickets start from £13.75.
Date
1 October – 4 October
18:00
Location
Various venues across York
Price
Paid
Recommended Age
+14 years
