The Annual EFG London Jazz Festival Prepares to Kick Off It’s 26th Year

The EFG London Jazz Festival is set to return for another triumphant year, spanning over three hundred gigs over London over nine days.

Jazz lovers in the UK are absolutely treated by the lineup of this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival, which is running from November 16th to 25th. Bringing musicians from across the world and joining them together by their shared passion for jazz, there’s something for everyone to enjoy within the extensive list of artists participating this year. It remains as London’s largest city-wide festival, with over 2,000 artists in more than 325 performances in concert halls, clubs, at family events, free concerts, films and talks, in over 70 venues across London.

This year sees a host of global artists flocking to take part; international stars include Bill Frisell, Madeleine Peyroux, Dave Douglas, Tord Gustavsen and more, whilst nationally, names such as Nubya Garcia and Zara McFarlane all feature on the bill. There’s even the rare opportunity to see Jeff Goldblum, who is more well-known for his Hollywood success, on the piano with his band The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra.

The festival kicks off with the Jazz Voice Gala, which sees Guy Barker’s 42-piece orchestra teaming up with prominent vocalists including Marzia, Lisa Stansfield, Deva Mahal, and even Orange Is The New Black star Lea DeLaria. Presented by Radio 3’s Jumoké Fashola, it’s sure to be a glittering start to a wonderful 9 days of music. More information on the gala can be found here: https://efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk/events/jazz-voice-festival-opening-gala2018

A full programme has been announced, which you can access here: https://efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk/festival-guide. Be sure to take a look, because you do not want to miss out on any of the exciting performances. Celebrate the diversity of jazz as the capital becomes a melting hotpot of talent and creativity, and share your memories with #WeAreJazz.

Words by Athena Kam