Jazz Returns to Durham With the City's First Festival Since 2019

For the first time in seven years, Durham has had a jazz festival of its own. The new Durham Jazz Festival ran from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October 2026, bringing national names and local players to venues across the city centre. It is the first since DJazz, the Durham City Jazz Festival, last ran in June 2019, and its organisers want it to become a fixture of the city's calendar.

A gap since 2019

As student paper Palatinate reported, no festival was held after 2019 because of the pandemic, and a new non-profit has since been set up to carry on that work. The festival was founded by music photographer John Lyons, promoter Alan Patrickson and Richard Turner, who curates gigs at the Old Cinema Launderette in Gilesgate. Its stated aim is an accessible annual festival that mixes national acts with the region's own jazz scene and gives up-and-coming local musicians a stage.

What happened over the weekend

The programme spread across the Gala Theatre and Gala Studio, Redhills Durham Miners' Hall, the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms, Durham University's Music School and a handful of bars. Highlights included the Ronnie Scott's All Stars bringing their Soho Songbook to Redhills on the Friday night, Marvin Muoneké with the Strictly Smokin' Big Band at the Gala, and a closing jump-jive double bill with King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys. Palatinate also reported that former King Crimson and Yes drummer Bill Bruford played drums with the Pete Roth Trio on the Sunday.

Demand was strong from the start. Two shows sold out well in advance: Newcastle band Knats at Fabio's Bar, and violinist Emma Fisk's Hot Club du Nord lunchtime concert at the Gala, according to Durham OnAir.

Students played their part too. The Durham University Jazz Society put on a Saturday evening showcase of standards, swing, fusion-funk and Latin pieces, and Lyons ran a free photography exhibition, The Space Between the Notes, at the festival's gallery in the Prince Bishops Centre.

What comes next

The festival website says dates and ticket details for 2027 are still to be confirmed. We will add them to our events calendar once they are announced.