Soho Jazz Festival 2025

Five days, twelve venues and more than a hundred artists transformed Soho into a living jazz village. The 2025 Soho Jazz Festival fulfilled its promise of connection, discovery and community, placing working musicians at the centre of the story. Every performance was treated like a headline moment. Trumpeter Olivia Cuttill and vocalist Ineza Kerschkamp each launched debut albums during the week, going on to national recognition in Jazzwise and BBC Radio 2.

Unlike commercial festivals, Soho’s focus remained on artists who earn their living from music. Each show provided professional photography and film content so performers could continue promoting their work year-round. Audiences flowed smoothly between clubs with one pass. The largest queue, outside Alfie’s on Friday, lasted only twenty-five minutes. Over ninety per cent of surveyed guests gave the festival top marks and all said they would return.

Partnerships with Yamaha Music London, 1664 Blanc, Ticketmaster UK and sE Electronics shaped the experience without overpowering it. Yamaha’s Disklavier piano became a centrepiece for live and virtual jam sessions, while 1664 Blanc hosted its Conversations in Bleu podcast, pairing musicians and industry figures in candid talk about jazz and taste. Ticketmaster’s presence connected Soho’s independent venues to new audiences through its homepage, while sE Electronics supplied microphones that became visual icons across every stage.

The festival extended online through the Soho Jazz Café on Roblox, a virtual Soho where fans could explore venues and watch performances in digital form. This playful innovation reached younger audiences and carried Soho’s energy beyond its streets. Even a citywide rail strike could not slow things down. Venues stayed full as advance bookings carried the week. One club owner said the festival saved the week.

The presence of the Lord Mayor of Westminster reinforced its civic importance, and producer George Hudson joined a UKHospitality roundtable to discuss fairer policy for culture and business. The Soho Jazz Festival 2025 honoured heritage while shaping the future. It drew over three million public impressions, more than a million digital engagements and a Forbes feature naming it one of the year’s most significant cultural events. Soho’s heartbeat could be felt in every room. The music, the laughter and the shared sense of belonging reminded everyone why live performance still matters. Soho stays moving, and the beat goes on.