Global grooves and local legends set for Glasgow Jazz Festival 2025

17 April 2025

As Scotland’s jazz scene enjoys an all-time high, Glasgow Jazz Festival is set to have the city reverberating with the rhythms of homegrown and world-renowned talent alike.

Returning for its staggering 39th edition from Wednesday 18 to Sunday 22 June 2025, the city’s longest-running music festival will swing into summer showcasing the health and breadth of Scottish, UK and international jazz music.

Over 100 musicians will take part in more than 25 performances, sessions and pop-ups, showcasing everything from soul and fusion to funk and classic jazz. Tickets for the festival, which is supported by Creative Scotland, are on sale now at www.jazzfest.co.uk.

Headline international talent this year comes in the form of American keyboardist, flautist and singer Brian Jackson, who plays Saint Luke’s on Friday 20th June. Half of the power duo Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson, Brian wrote, arranged and produced over 10 albums over an eight-year period, with his music featured on over 100 tracks including on releases from the likes of Kendrick Lamar.

The Neil Cowley Trio return to the festival for the first time in eight years when they play the opening night, also at Saint Luke’s. The trio will present material from their new recording Entity – their seventh studio album – and exceptional back catalogue.

Grammy-award-winning British-born, New Orleans based funk and R&B musician Jon Cleary is set to play an intimate show at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall’s Green Room.

Genre defying instrumental collective Fat-Suit will pay tribute to the golden age of video game music at Òran Mór. From Zelda to Final Fantasy, Mario Kart to Sonic the Hedgehog, this one-off show reimagines iconic soundtracks through Fat-Suit's signature blend of jazz, folk, funk and electronics.

English jazz group Mammal Hands, known for combining jazz, contemporary classical, electronica, folk and minimalism, will also bring their intense and hypnotic live performance to this year’s festival. Over at Òran Mór, award-winning London tuba player and composer Theon Cross will be back in Glasgow with this Trio, delighting audiences with his unique sound and collaborating with Scottish drummer Graeme Costello.

Baiana, the alias of powerhouse Liverpool-born Brazilian jazz artist, Laura Doyle, will bring her hypnotic vocals to the west end on Wednesday 18 June, joined on the bill by northern funk rockers The Haggis Horns and percussionist Snowboy. Brazilian musical duo Anavitória will also bring their signature blend of folk and contemporary sounds to life for Mackintosh Church audiences.

A Beyond Borders commission with Serious, London, will make its Scottish debut at the summer festival. The performance from members of the Take Five flagship talent development programme for emerging jazz and improvising musicians will feature the likes of Scottish singer Lulu Manning, Xhosa Cole, Conor McAuley and Claire Victoria Roberts.

Award-winning Scottish jazz group Rose Room will celebrate their remarkable 15th anniversary on Wednesday 18 June with a performance in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall’s Green Room, while trumpeter Colin Steele and his Quartet will play the music of Glasgow icons The Blue Nile in the same venue on Friday 20th June.

Scottish saxophonist Matt Carmichael will perform his most ambitious work to date – Dancing with Embers – on Thursday 19 June. Matt’s distinctive, powerfully emotive blend of jazz and folk music will be on display, while Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra will be joined by special guest Pat Thomas at an afternoon show at Saint Luke’s on Saturday 21st June. The Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra will also return to Òran Mór, with the acclaimed saxophonist leading a talented group of young jazz musicians.

Scottish vocalist Marianne MacGregor launches her new album in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall’s charming Green Room on the festival’s final day, and Stephen Henderson‘s quintet, Modern Vikings, will play their bold and emotive music to fans at Saint Luke’s.

Jill Rodger, Director of Glasgow Jazz Festival, said: “Scotland’s jazz scene has never been so buoyant, and Glasgow has become a bustling hub of creativity and cutting-edge collaboration among jazz musicians – so it’s only right that our 2025 programme celebrates the incredible talent to be found here. I’m also very excited to be presenting a wealth of global acts, with artists coming in from locations like New Orleans and Brazil. I would encourage music fans across the city to come out and discover something new this summer – there will be beats to satisfy all tastes on display at venues big and small across Glasgow.”

Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative Scotland, said: "There's a new sense of confidence coursing through the Scottish jazz scene and onto the stages of the 2025 Glasgow Jazz Festival. The positive mood is everywhere, as the city steps out on the upbeat, welcoming top musicians from across the world who will share the spotlight with our own home-grown stars. As the festival enters a new phase supported for the first time through Creative Scotland's Multi Year Funding programme, it's great to see the sheer breadth of jazz that's on display, from the genre's trad roots through to its improv-focused future."

Dorian Cloudsley of Fat-Suit said: “Glasgow Jazz Festival has been a mainstay of the jazz scene here throughout the band’s history, and has given us some of our proudest performance moments over the years. It’s always a privilege to be asked to play.”

This year’s festival will also welcome a number of new partnerships. Hyndland record store Second Line Records will be sponsoring Theon Cross Trio and Matt Carmichael’s shows, while ESP Music Rentals is backing Neil Cowley Trio’s show and SM Lighting Ltd is supporting Colin Steele Quartet’s show.

Media Partner One Jazz, the digital radio station, will also be broadcasting from the festival. Additionally, for Glasgow 850 Clyde Chorus on Friday 30th May, the festival will be part of a showcase at The Savings Bank alongside The Glasgow Mela, with a performance from Glasgow soul pioneers Mama Terra.

The free Late Night Jam Sessions return on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night of the festival, offering a welcoming platform for musicians to connect, collaborate and improvise. BBC Young Jazz Musician 2024 Timmy Allan will host the first night at Nice n Sleazy following his headline show in the venue.

There will also be city-wide concerts ranging from Gavin’s Mill in Milngavie, to Glitch 41 at The Rum Shack in the south of the city, as well as Basement Jazz Cafe and The Butterfly & Pig in the city centre.

Tickets for Glasgow Jazz Festival 2025 go on sale at 1pm, Thursday 17th April. Visit www.jazzfest.co.uk.

Background

Header image courtesy of Glasgow Jazz Festival.

Glasgow Jazz Festival Showcasing world-class musicians and emerging stars, the festival brings Glasgow’s vibrant jazz scene to life. As the city’s longest-running music festival, it plays a key role in Glasgow’s status as a UNESCO City of Music, enriching the city’s cultural landscape. Over the years, the festival has hosted some of the biggest names in jazz, ranging from iconic figures like Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan and Tony Bennett to revered artists such as Dave Brubeck, Tony Allen and Mulatu Astatke, alongside leading Scottish talents such as Fergus McCreadie, Georgia Cecile and corto.alto.

Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creativity across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery, which, now in its 30th year, has supported over 14,600 projects with more than £501.9 million in funding through Creative Scotland and its predecessor, the Scottish Arts Council. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot.