Jazz is back on the pier, baby. The Brighton Jazz Festival is returning this October with four days of brass, bass and late-night brilliance taking over Horatio’s Bar at the end of the Palace Pier.
Now in its fifth year, the festival’s bringing serious pedigree: Grammy-winning trumpeter Randy Brecker is playing his only UK date of 2025 alongside saxophonist Ada Rovatti and pianist Deschanel Gordon – a heavyweight trio guaranteed to give the pier New York club vibes for one night only.
Before that, transatlantic group Atlanticus is reuniting for some deep Hammond-led fire, while Camilla George serves up Afrofuturist grooves and Steam Down are bringing their explosive Peckham energy south for a rare Brighton set.
Rising talents Allexa Nava and Poppy Daniels are kicking things off on Thursday with Latin-infused originals and London-meets-Peru soundscapes that prove jazz’s next wave is already cresting. Saturday’s line-up also includes Cuban-born singer and percussionist Adriana Lord, bringing rhythm, warmth and powerhouse vocals to the pier with a set that fuses Afro-Cuban roots, Latin jazz and Brighton cool – the kind of set that will get even the most rhythm-averse tapping along.
Sunday closes with homegrown hero Chip Wickham, who’s swapping international stages for a hometown return, his flute-driven spiritual jazz following on from Sultan Stevenson’s soulful, hard-swinging trio. And if you’re craving something even more underground, the festival’s secret-location Jazz Series on the Sunday afternoon promises intimate, free-entry sets from Peter Fraize and Terry Seabrook, plus Very Tiny Toads – a Radiohead-meets-Beatles rework trio.
Whether you’re deep into Coltrane or just jazz-curious, this year’s festival is ample proof that the city still swings.
Thursday 16th – Sunday 19th October; various times; from free
brightonjazzfestival.co.uk
