Glasgow Jazzfest

Jazzfest (aka The Glasgow International Jazz Festival) is held annually during the month of June (within the Merchant City), making it one of the city’s longest-running cultural events. It features Scottish and international jazz acts on a variety of stages across Scotland’s music capital.  It is also one of many jazz festivals that take place in towns, cities and even remote islands across Scotland, including Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Lockerbie, the Isle of Bute and Islay. 

The first event was held in 1987, the same year that Glasgow bid to become the European City of Culture for 1990. It’s inception was to establish Glasgow as a major European jazz centre, according to its organisers. Legendary jazz singer Miss Sarah Vaughan was one of the festival highlights, along with other acts that included Chick Corea, Taj Mahal, Benny Carter and Carol Kidd.

Since then, stars in the line-ups have included Oscar Petersen, Dizzy Gillespie, Michael Brecker, Ray Charles, Tony Bennet, Miles Davis, Jools Holland, Joe Henderson, Courtney Pine and blues legend Buddy Guy. In 2015, Gladys Knight and Frank Sinatra were also special guests.

The festival has grown throughout the years. As well as the main festival venues within the Merchant City and the Old Fruitmarket, many bars, restaurants and hotels hold their own fringe events featuring emerging jazz bands and artists, all of which help to ensure that the jazz scene in Glasgow and Scotland thrives, with many excellent acts from our own country enjoying big success, as well as former pop, folk and rock music stars dabbling in the genre.

For more information go to www.jazzfest.co.uk

Shire Extra champions jazz on Saturdays, with the whole evening dedicated to the genre, as we play the finest artists and bands from around the world, with an emphasis on Scottish jazz music.