Perth International Jazz Festival returns with star-studded line-up
Perth International Jazz Festival (PIJF) returns this year for its largest and most diverse event yet, bringing a star-studded line-up of global jazz artists to Western Australia throughout October and November.
The festival will run from Saturday, October 5, to Sunday, November 3, in Perth, and from Saturday, November 9 to Sunday, November 10 in the South West.
“The festival has evolved from a one-weekend event into a five-week celebration featuring over 60 performances across Perth CBD, City of Vincent, Mosman Park, Busselton, and Yallingup,” PIJF General Manager Richard Evans said. “Our aim is to bring the world’s best jazz musicians to Perth, inspire the next generation of talent, and provide a platform for local artists to reach wider audiences.”
The festival kicks off with A Night in New York on Saturday, October 5, at Brookfield Place Precinct, featuring nine artists across seven venues, offering a range of jazz styles inspired by New York City. From 5pm, Print Hall, W Churchill, Papi Katsu, Bob’s Bar, Bobeche and Grill’d will also host live performances, with opportunities for guests to wander from venue to venue and experience late-night dining and unique atmospheres at each location.
Headlining the festival is Esperanza Spalding, a five-time Grammy award-winner making her Perth debut. Spalding’s innovative fusion of soul, funk, pop, and rock has earned her a place among the world’s jazz elite, with her Perth show at Regal Theatre on Thursday, October 24, selling out in just seven days. With a selection of songs from her eight-album catalogue, Spalding’s performance will feature drummer Eric Doob, guitarist Matt Stevens, and dancers Kaylin Horgan and Tashae Udo.
Another highlight this year is legendary DJ Carl Cox, who, alongside Eric Powell, will bring their Mobile Disco to QV1 Plaza on Saturday, October 26 for a six-hour set blending jazz, soul, funk, and disco.
Other international drawcards include New York vocalist Jazzmeia Horn and rising stars from New York’s jazz scene Sarah Hanahan, Mariel Bildsten and Sara McDonald. They will be joined on the line-up by festival favourites Tal Cohen, Tin Men & the Telephone and Satoko Fujii’s Kira Kira.
Other highly anticipated performances include Horns of Leroy ft. Thndo, Vince Jones Quintet, Paper Tiger (Album Launch), Rai Thistlethwayte & Ben Vanderwal, Holli Scott (Album Launch), Ted Vining & Bob Sedergreen, Eishan Ensemble and The Vampires.
PIJF Artistic Director Dr. Mace Francis said he was excited to curate a program that reflects the incredible range and diversity of jazz today from around the world.
“There’s something for everyone—from traditional jazz to modern swing, free jazz to hard bop, electronic beats to velvet vocals, and rising stars to veterans,” he said.
Perth International Jazz Festival runs from Saturday, October 5, until Sunday, November 3 in Perth, and from Saturday, November 9 until Sunday, November 10 in the South West. For more information and to buy tickets, head to perthjazzfest.com