Today, Cheltenham Jazz Festival have announced their line up for this years festival. Held between 30 April – 5 May in Montpellier Gardens. Tickets on sale Wednesday 5 March at 10am – or become a member for priority booking!

cheltenhamfestivals.org/whats-on

At this years festival, we see the return of the Parabola Arts Centre: Innovation and Talent Development.

Under new leadership this year, the Parabola Arts Centre (PAC) programme will continue its legacy as a cornerstone of the Festival, presenting cutting edge performances and fostering emerging talent.

PAC’s inclusive ethos and diverse programming offer audiences an opportunity to experience jazz in its purest and most innovative forms and with a strong focus on the Festival’s year-round talent development scheme, which serves to develop the careers of both up-and-coming and established jazz artists.

Artists who will be part of this years line up with the PAC include: National Youth Jazz Orchestra performing The Fire Next Time (a tribute to James Baldwin) as well as trumpeter and bandleader Mark Kavuma, Mercury-nominated and Ivors Academy Award winning Cassie Kinoshi and her six-piece project Brown Penny, BBC Jazz Award winning trumpeter Byron Wallen performing Peter Shenai’s ‘Hurricane Bells’, Tomorrow’s Warriors alumni Daniel Casimir and his Big Band, London-based trumpeter Poppy Daniels, Iberian-born pianist Marco Mezquida, duo Alexander Hawkins & Sofia Jernberg performing tracks from their album Musho, newly-formed vocal trio Flight Call (Georgia Cécile, L.A. Daniels & Pete Horsfall), the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with Siena Jazz-Accademia Nazionale Del Jazz Ensembles and composer and bandleader Olivia Murphy with her orchestra.

One of the artists included this year is no stranger to Cheltenham Jazz Festival. Georgia Cécile returns with her project with L.A Daniels and Pete Horsfall for their vocal harmony group Flight Call. They are an act not to be missed. Check out their performance from 2023 at Cheltenham Jazz Festival below:

Georgia Cécile can boast wins for UK Jazz Act Of The Year’ and ‘Vocalist of the Year’ at the 2022 Jazz FM awards. She has toured with Gregory Porter which saw her opening four nights at the Royal Albert Hall. Georgia Cécile is becoming quite a festival favourite.

L.A Daniels (Lucy-Anne Daniels is a Jazz Vocalist who combines Gospel and Jazz. Her melodic vocals will take you on a journey of beautiful and captivating lyrics.

Pete Horsfall will not only impress his audience with his incredible vocals but he is also known for being an award winning trumpet player. Horsfall has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, New York’s Lincoln Center, Paris’ Duc Des Lombards, The North Sea Jazz Festival, Glastonbury Festival and Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club amongst many others. He has also worked with the likes of Kurt Elling, Jamie Cullum, De La Soul, Guy Barker, Joe Stilgoe, Clare Teal, Kansas Smittys, Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Friendly Fires and DJ Premier,

Another act we are personally looking forward to is Daniel Casimir and his Big Band. Casimir is a composer, producer and a bassist. Daniel has made his mark within the Jazz music scene over the last few years and is a very welcome addition to this year’s festival. In 2024, Casimir was the winner of the 2024 Arts Foundation for jazz composition. He has played in various iconic venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Ronnie Scott’s and The Jazz Café. In 2024 Casimir released his album titled Balance which features a full big band. The album features leading figures from the UK Jazz scene, with a string section from the esteemed London Contemporary Orchestra.

For a breathtakingly atmospheric experience, it would be worth catching Alexander Hawkins & Sofia Jernberg who will be performing tracks from their album Musho. With Swedish/Ethiopian-born singer Sofia Jernberg on vocals, guests will get to experience her highly emotive and expressive vocals. Both Hawkins and Jernberg share an interest in Ethiopian music and their album Musho features folk songs from Ethiopia, Armenia, Sweden and England.

Alexander Hawkins is a British composer, pianist, organist, and bandleader who is very much a familiar name within the Jazz scene. He performs as a solo act but has also collaborated with the likes of Nicole Mitchell, Tomeka Reid, Angelika Niescier, Evan Parker, John Surman, Han Bennink, Hamid Drake as well as Sofia Jernberg.

With such an exceptional line up, this would be a great time to take the opportunity to see such artists in an intimate setting before they hit bigger venues.

The Festival continues its long-standing partnership with the BBC and will this year present a special edition of its Soul Jazz Summit show presented by the Guy Barker Big Band and BBC Concert Orchestra with special guests including Vanessa Haynes, Tommy Blaize, Lucy-Anne Daniels & Curtis Stigers.

Taking place in the Festival Village in the town’s central Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2025 presents an array of special one-off performances, free events, group workshops, family-orientated shows and late-night jams and more. The Festival is also set to pop-up across the town, incorporating several additional venues including Cheltenham Town Hall, Parabola Arts Centre, Dunkertons and late-night jazz jams held at Hotel Du Vin.