WHAT’S ON
THURS 17TH SEPT - TOM BARFORD QUARTET AT THE NUTSHELL
Composer/Saxophonist/Winner of the 2017 Kenny Wheeler Prize Tom Barford’s name has been known to aficionados for some years now. Tom's new album captured live at the Parakeet by master engineer Alex Bonney presents him sharing the frontline with star trumpeter James Copus on a set of his own original material. With Ivo Neame on piano and regular rhythm section compadres Oli Hayhurst on bass and Tim Giles on drums, this is a true London supergroup - but one based on a genuine, deep mutual respect and admiration.
FRI 18TH SEPT - HORNS UP FRONT AT THE ARC
Back by popular demand! Horn-heavy funk with a hard-grooving rhythm section, Horns up Front are a UK based 7-piece funk-jazz-fusion band, led by Northern Irish Trumpet Player Neil Doherty. Formed in 2019 and made up of some of the finest funk and jazz musicians in the South.
The band play a combination of original music and arrangements, taking inspiration from the likes of Lettuce, Tower of Power, Jerry Hey, The Meters, Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker to name a few.
SAT 19TH SEPT - Marvin Muoneké's Big Band at the theatre royal winchester
Jazz FM Awards Vocalist of the Year nominee and Boisdale Music Awards Jazz Artist of the Year nominee back at Theatre Royal Winchester for the first time since 2021!
Showcasing his talents as a vocalist, bandleader, arranger and conductor, Marvin Muoneké’s Orchestra (Big Marv’s Big Fat Band) will present fresh takes on jazz classics by Count Basie and Louis Armstrong, alongside audience favourites and original material, combining big-band excitement with moments of warmth and intimacy.
SUN 20TH SEPT - GROOVE ONTO THE MOON AT THEATRE ROYAL WINCHESTER
Strap in and prepare to blast off on a cosmic adventure like no other as you venture into the thrilling music experience of Groove Onto the Moon!
In this fun sci-fi adventure, children aged 3 to 7 and their adventurous grown-ups will be transported into space, encountering alien creatures, embarking on daring missions, and facing challenges that will put their bravery to the test.
ABOUT WINCHESTER JAZZ FESTIVAL
Winchester Jazz Festival 2026 will take place from 17th - 20th September in venues across the city centre. Audiences will enjoy four days of top quality entertainment from the jazz world; by bringing the jazz festival to this beautiful and historic city we create a platform to nurture local talent, expose a wider local audience to world-class jazz music and show the rest of the UK what Winchester has to offer as a destination for the arts. We are working in partnership with the city’s key arts venues as well as alongside our valued independent pubs, bars and cafés in order to offer a diverse program of ticketed and free events, balancing maximum engagement with high quality performances.
MAKING WJF POSSIBLE
Winchester Jazz Festival 2024 was part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit gov.uk
We are grateful to The Nutshell and Theatre Royal Winchester for their continued support and collaboration.
THE NUTSHELL
Discarded Nut is a female-led organisation that is run by two local women who have grass-roots involvement, a deep understanding of the changing landscape of Winchester and who have worked across the creative industry for over two decades specialising in working with young people, participatory projects, programming and small-scale community and touring theatre. The Nutshell supports the wealth of talent within our city, collaborating with local creatives - championing children, young people and emerging talent, and shouting to the world that Winchester is a thriving dynamic cultural destination.
THEATRE ROYAL WINCHESTER
The Theatre Royal is a beautiful 400 seat heritage theatre full of entertainment situated in the city of Winchester. Theatre Royal Winchester involves up to 140,000 people annually in cultural activity at the heart of the community.
BECOME A PATRON
Without our sponsors we would not be able to run this festival. We are thrilled to offer the following opportunities to sponsor or become a patron of Winchester Jazz Festival.
BECOME A SPONSOR
We have several sponsorship opportunities for businesses, and can offer different packages including individual event sponsorship, full page adverts in our programme, and corporate ticket packages for your company. Please get in contact via email - info@winchesterjazzfestival.com - or by using the Contact page to find out how we can tailor the perfect sponsorship package for you and your business.
For further information, please get in touch. Thank you for your interest in supporting live music in Winchester!
BECOME A PATRON
For a small sponsorship pledge, you will receive:
An invitation to the Patron Reception during the festival
Your name listed on the festival website and in the official printed programme (if you wish)
Two complimentary tickets to the event of your choice