Manchester Jazz Festival is back for its 30th year and will be celebrating its closing weekend across Band on the Wall’s stages from 22–25 May!
Join us for the extended weekend celebration, with 4 days of the genre’s brightest stars and emerging talent. Discover the full programme below, featuring free shows in The Copper Bar.
Mammal Hands – Thursday 22 May – Band on the Wall | SELLING FAST
Mammal Hands formed in Norwich in 2012 and quickly gained a reputation for their hypnotic fusion of jazz and electronica. They signed to Gondwana Records in 2013 and have released 5 critically acclaimed albums since, the most recent being “Gift from the Trees,” in 2023. Their unique sound has received glowing recommendations from tastemakers Tom Ravenscroft, Bonobo, Jamie Cullum and Gilles Peterson.
Deems Experiments – Thursday 22 May – The Copper Bar | FREE
Deems Experiment is a group of Bristol based composers and instrumentalists led by keyboardist Aondoyima (Deems) Ioratim-Uba, who was born in Nigeria and grew up in Manchester. Their style blends elements of jazz, classical music, hip hop, and math rock. In 2019 Deems moved to Bristol to do a PhD in physics, where he met drummer and electronic music producer Stan Glendinning (aka ELGAN) through the revived and thriving post-covid music scene. The two started Deems Experiment, initially as jams in Stan’s living room alongside Fabio Ferri (guitar), James Storm Otieno (saxophone), Marcus Gee (bass), and Tristan Cole (guitar). Since then, they have shared the stage with international acts Sly5thAve and Editrix.
Jasmine Myra – Friday 23 May – Band on the Wall | TICKETS
Jasmine Myra is a saxophonist, composer and band leader, based in London. Originally part of the bustling, creative, cross-genre music scene in Leeds (she attended Leeds Conservatoire) Jasmine has surrounded herself with some of the best young talent from the city. Her original instrumental music has a euphoric and uplifting sound, influenced by artists as diverse as Kenny Wheeler, Bonobo, Ólafur Arnalds and Moses Sumney.
Zawedde – Friday 23 May – The Copper Bar | FREE
Zawedde is a Yorkshire based singer-songwriter of Ugandan heritage and her songwriting is inspired by the rich stories that are told around her and that lie within her. Her songs are rooted in the genre of Folk with an infusion of Soul. Her inspirations vary from the likes of Terry Callier to Joan Armatrading, Nick Drake to Laura Marling. Her music has been described as “audio self-care at its finest” (Two Story Melody, 2018).
La Fiesta: Afrodesia – Friday 23 May – The Copper Bar | FREE
Leeds based Afrobeat-Jazz fusion band Afrodesia has played across many dance floors across the UK. Drawing upon influences from across Africa such as Afrobeat, Highlife, Juju, Kwela, Kwasa kwasa and combining it with jazz. The rhythmic melodies of Afrodesia are sure to make you dance.
Camilla George – Saturday 24 May (matinee) – Band on the Wall | TICKETS
Camilla George is a visionary saxophonist, composer, bandleader and innovator. Her strong cultural roots and love of fusing African and Western Music has informed her own unique style, a key reason why she is a firm fixture on the new London Jazz scene.
Her music is a hypnotising blend of Afrofuturism, hip hop and jazz, with a politically minded subtext that has a powerful connection to her Nigerian identity, lineage and heritage, reflecting African history, culture and slavery.
Celebrating Alice Coltrane – Saturday 24 May – Band on the Wall | TICKETS
Alina Bzhezhinska, Tony Kofi & HipHarpCollective with special guest Brian Jackson
Undoubtedly one of the leading harpists in the world today, Alina Bzhezhinska (a.k.a. AlinaHipHarp) is a one-woman powerhouse on a mission to bring harp to the forefront of contemporary sound. In 2024 honouring the memory of Alice Coltrane on the year of Alice – she created a special project “Celebrating Alice Coltrane” with the legendary American jazz artist / composer Brian Jackson.
Gia Fu + Me Gusta DJs + Andy Votel – Saturday 24 May (club night) – Band on the Wall | TICKETS
Gia Fu, a DJ/selector and music producer from Hong Kong, specializes in Afro-Latin music, particularly Salsa and associated rhythms. Beyond extensive touring as an international DJ and music producer, her research work explores how cultures – including her own Chinese heritage and Latin American influences – enrich one another.
Funk Street: Close Counters – Saturday 24 May – The Copper Bar | FREE
Naarm/Melbourne-based duo Close Counters, comprised of Finn Rees and Allan McConnell, are known for their eclectic fusion of house, neo-soul, broken beat, and disco.
Their 2023 album SOULACOASTA II received critical acclaim, winning a Music Victoria Award and earning an Australian Music Prize nomination, with tastemakers such as Gilles Peterson and DJ Mag praising its inventive use of global samples.
Arjuna Oakes – Saturday 24 May – The Copper Bar | FREE
Arjuna Oakes is an accomplished singer/songwriter, pianist, composer and producer from New Zealand, currently based in London. Following the release of his debut EP ‘The Watcher’ in 2019, Arjuna has released another six projects all to widespread acclaim. Two EP’s ‘First Nights’ and ‘Final Days’ are a collaboration with longtime friend and co-producer Serebii, released by LA-based record label Innovative Leisure (BADBADNOTGOOD, Allah-Las). First Nights debuted at #5 on KCRW’s top 30 Albums chart and has had extensive play on BBC6 and BBC1xtra. In 2025 Arjuna released his first singles with London based record label Albert’s Favourites. He was subsequently chosen as a Spotify UK Fresh Finds artist with billboards in Leicester Square. He has opened for artists including Jordan Rakei, Moonchild and Allen Stone.
Fiona Bevan & Adam Beattie – Saturday 24 May (matinee) – The Copper Bar | FREE
Acclaimed Scottish singer-songwriter Adam Beattie ‘Uplifting Reveries Of Love’ (Mojo Magazine) and multi-platinum singer-songwriter Fiona Bevan ‘Startling odysseys’ (The Guardian) embark on a double headline tour of the UK this spring/summer in celebration of their new music releases. Adam will be performing songs from his upcoming album Home Fires Burning; a homespun epic which explores family, legacy and belonging. Adam writes melodies inspired by the traditional fiddle tunes of his childhood, played on finger-picked acoustic guitar. Fiona will be performing songs from her EP First Woman On The Moon, a set of brand new songs exploring hope, love and female desire against a political backdrop.
Emma Rawicz & Gwilym Simcock – Sunday 25 May (matinee) – Band on the Wall | TICKETS
The debut performance of a new project bringing together the talents of celebrated pianist and composer Gwilym Simcock and rising star saxophonist and composer Emma Rawicz promises to be a special one.
Expect a seamless blend of original music from each of these distinctive composers and more.
Jazz Jamaica – Sunday 25 May – Band on the Wall | TICKETS
Formed in 1991 by Gary Crosby OBE – bassist, band leader and nephew of Jamaica’s legendary guitarist Ernest Ranglin – the mighty Jazz Jamaica have rightly earned their reputation as “one of the UK’s leading good-time bands”’ (The Independent) from their many exuberant live performances and dynamic album releases over the past three decades.
Crosby’s concept was to create a quintessential fusion of mento, ska, reggae, and jazz, playing classic and modern jazz standards alongside Jamaican folksongs, and it is his leadership and drive that continues to ensure the evolution of Jazz Jamaica. The band has grown in members and repertoire, filling concert halls and delighting audiences across the country with tours of Catch A Fire, a celebration of the music of Bob Marley, and The Trojan Story that featured many of the best-loved tunes from the seminal Trojan Records label.
Quincey May Brown – Sunday 25 May – The Copper Bar | FREE
Quincey May Brown is a Manchester based songwriter and harpist with a penchant for shirking convention. Accompanied by Joel Harries (guitar) and James Kruszelnicki (tenor sax), they combine elements of folk, jazz, ethereal sounds and darkly playful lyrics.
Jazz Workshop Band – Sunday 25 May – The Copper Bar | FREE
Band on the Wall’s Jazz Workshop is the longest running of its kind in Manchester.
Taught and directed by renowned saxophonist Munch Manship, it has become a creative hub for Jazz musicians from across the North West region who are passionate about the music.
On 25th May the workshop’s band will be performing some of the hottest and coolest numbers from the giants of Jazz at Manchester’s iconic music venue.