Soho Jazz Festival returns with 100 years of history celebrated across 15 iconic venues. Over 100 artists transform Soho into a living jazz village filled with swing, soul and contemporary sounds, redefining grassroots culture for a new generation.
The Soho Jazz Festival has set its sights on collaboration beyond London. Europe’s Grassroots Jazz Festival is the next step, connecting independent festivals across the continent. With touring still difficult post-Brexit, this alliance aims to make it easier for musicians to travel, share stages and reach wider audiences. It is a cultural exchange designed to protect the future of live jazz in Europe.
Soho Live is quietly transforming how grassroots venues operate. Over ninety per cent of its bookings are made directly with self-employed artists, bypassing management and agencies. This direct approach keeps creative control with musicians and resources within the community. With no headline acts and equal billing across performers, Soho Live’s venues champion the talent that needs it most while sustaining London’s local music economy.
Beyond its five festival days, the Soho Jazz Festival continues to support artists through discovery programmes, album launches and regular events. It invests in musicians via the Artist Development Fund, the weekly Soho Jazz Jam and partnerships with wellbeing charities such as Music Minds Matter. The festival’s commitment extends throughout the year, providing paid gigs, professional content and mentoring opportunities that help artists build sustainable careers.
The 2025 Soho Jazz Festival Impact Report measures the influence of a festival that grew beyond music. It reflects on audience growth, artist support, community impact and cultural leadership. The report recognises how Soho Live’s ecosystem sustained the area’s creative economy through partnership, innovation and care.
The Soho Jazz Festival 2025 brought Soho to life again, filling its clubs, streets and secret rooms with over a hundred musicians and forty shows. Across five days, eighteen hundred guests explored fourteen stages and twelve venues, from candlelit basements to open-air pop-ups. The festival strengthened Soho’s role as London’s creative heartbeat, uniting venues, brands and audiences while supporting grassroots artists with a focus on discovery and authenticity.
Next year marks ten years since the Soho Jazz Festival was reimagined by Soho Live Studios and forty since its original creation in 1986. The 2026 edition will keep discovery at its core by revealing line-ups only at August Bank Holiday. With venues already preparing, the festival promises to celebrate Soho’s past while embracing its future as Europe’s leading grassroots jazz event.
Pianist Nico Widdowson shares his journey from North Wales to London’s jazz stages. Influenced by Duke Ellington and Art Tatum, he speaks on heritage, discipline and finding creative freedom through the Soho scene’s collaborative energy.
Festival Director Nathan Britton chats with trumpeter and comedian Andy Davies about his offbeat approach to jazz and life. With humour, energy and unapologetic authenticity, Andy reveals how he keeps audiences entertained and inspired.
Venezuelan pianist Pablo Barrios discusses his Latin-jazz roots, global influences and love for the piano. Drawing from folk traditions, classical music and modern jazz, he crafts a sound that bridges continents and celebrates improvisation.
Trumpeter Olivia Cuttill talks about her new release launching at Alfie’s Soho. She shares the inspirations behind her jazz and blues songbook, her family’s musical legacy and the joy of creating with her quintet and guest Alex Fisher.
Jazz vocalist Ineza Kerschkamp releases her new album Ibuka with a special live performance in Soho. The show marks a milestone in her journey, blending heartfelt songwriting with timeless jazz storytelling and modern soul.
1664 Blanc joins Soho Jazz Festival 2025 as Official Beer Partner, bringing its signature style and creative energy to Alfie’s Soho. Together they celebrate connection, craftsmanship and the shared joy of live music in the heart of London.
Brixton-born vocalist Riketté Genesis blends reggae roots with the soulful language of jazz. From childhood sessions with her mother to performing at Ronnie Scott’s, she reflects on Soho’s creative energy and the journey to making music full-time.
An intimate look into an artist’s early musical journey, exploring the first memories, influences and experiences that shaped their passion for sound. From childhood inspiration to creative beginnings, this story uncovers how a lifelong love of music first took root.
Pizza Express Live’s Sepideh Cole discusses her path from Soho’s music scene to leading one of London’s most respected venues. She shares insights on nurturing grassroots talent and why supporting young artists remains central to her mission.
From Ronnie Scott’s and Pizza Express Jazz Club to hidden rooms like Alfie’s and Jack Solomons, each Soho venue adds its own flavour to the festival. The city’s legendary stages and secret basements unite under one rhythm for a week of discovery.
A reflection on how growing up in Jamaica shaped an artist’s musical identity. Surrounded by rhythm, community and culture, these early experiences inspired a lifelong connection to storytelling through music and laid the foundation for a distinctive creative voice.
The Jazz Horizons showcase at Pizza Express Jazz Club celebrates the future of jazz. With Nathan Britton, Bridget Walsh and Pablo Barrios, this lunchtime concert blends great food, emerging voices and purpose in support of Music Minds Matter.
Traditions and Innovations highlights the artists shaping the sound of Soho Jazz Festival 2025. Blending classic jazz roots with fresh, forward-thinking styles, this showcase celebrates the performers redefining what modern jazz means through creativity, collaboration and fearless experimentation.
Once a boxing gym, now a cultural hub, Jack Solomons Jazz Club partners with Soho Live to champion grassroots talent. Home to the weekly Soho Jazz Jam and a dynamic festival lineup, it keeps Soho’s late-night spirit alive.
Golden Buzzer star Lifford Shillingford opens this year’s festival alongside pianist Nathan Britton. Their soulful collaboration sets the tone for a four-day celebration of heritage, experimentation and cross-cultural sound shaping modern jazz in Soho.
Join the 1664 Blanc Podcast Series Conversations in Bleu for relaxed talks with artists, venue owners and organisers. Recorded during Soho Jazz Festival, it captures the true spirit of creativity, connection and live music over a glass of 1664.
Step inside the virtual Soho Jazz Café and experience the festival from anywhere. Groove on the Main Stage, explore VIP Backstage and join an immersive world where music, play and creativity meet inside London’s digital jazz home.
Imagine an evening where jazz history is not just heard—but felt. That’s exactly what “If I Could Write a Book”, performed by the KOKO Collective, offers: