Leeds Jazz Festival 2026: The ultimate city-wide guide to venues, ticket details & the biggest highlights

The sound of syncopation, roaring brass, and electronic fusion is set to take over the city once again as the celebrated Leeds Jazz Festival returns for its fifth consecutive year and boasts one of the most eclectic programmes in the festival's history.

Running from Thursday (May 21) to May 26, the five-day event serves as a vibrant city-wide showcase of local, national, and premier international musical talent, and is designed to unite independent venues, regional promoters, and diverse audiences under a single creative banner.

Major city centre landmarks like the City Varieties Music Hall and the Howard Assembly Room will anchor the flagship headliners, while high-energy full-band showcases take over The Wardrobe and the subterranean depths of The Domino Club.

The festival's footprint also extends deep into the suburbs and independent communities, featuring key hubs at Hyde Park Book Club, the legendary Brudenell Social Club, Seven Arts in Chapel Allerton, and daytime artist showcases at The Attic.

Intimate spaces like Mill Hill Chapel and the Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall offer stunning acoustic backdrops, with further independent gigs and special sessions filling beloved local spots including Northern Guitars, Wharf Chambers, The Northern Market, The Chemic Tavern, and The Cryer at GSAL.

From high-energy Cuban salsa nights to intimate chapel piano solos and heavy rock-infused jazz experiments, this year's line-up has something to capture the ears of seasoned jazz purists and curious newcomers alike.

What are some of the highlights from this year’s Leeds Jazz Festival?

Submotion Orchestra (May 21, The Wardrobe) bring their boundary-pushing electronic-jazz for a massive homecoming return to the city where they first formed. Their headline slot kicks off the festival's opening night with their signature groove-heavy, cinematic soundscapes.

Bringing in a massive injection of international flair, Eliane Correa & La Evolución (May 22, Howard Assembly Room) are a world-class Cuban jazz ensemble is set to transform the venue into an authentic "Night in Havana". The evening features high-energy salsa rhythms, top-tier global musicianship, a live salsa dance class, and late-night DJs.

Widely regarded as one of the fastest-rising stars on the contemporary British jazz scene, the multi-award-winning saxophonist Emma Rawicz’s INKYRA (May 24, Howard Assembly Room), brings her club-conscious new project to Leeds. Expect a highly inventive performance that has generated substantial national buzz.

Meanwhile, don’t sleep on Jazz Sabbath (May 25, City Varieties Music Hall); the roaring jazz-rock crossover sensation makes a much-anticipated return to the city. The outfit delivers uniquely reimagined, 1960s-style instrumental jazz interpretations of heavy metal anthems originally written by Black Sabbath.

Leeds Jazz Festival 2026 - full programme of events and performances

May 21

• RP's The Showcase, 4:00pm, The Attic
• Kanavu, Evening, Hyde Park Book Club
• Donovan Haffner Quartet + Miles Hardy Quartet, 7:30pm, Seven Arts
• DJ E.A.S.E With The Original Nightmares On Wax Band, 7:45pm, Howard Assembly Room
• Three or Four Shades of Mingus, 8:00pm, The Domino Club
• Submotion Orchestra, Evening, The Wardrobe

May 22

• RP's The Showcase, 3:00pm, The Attic
• Louise Muxworthy Trio, 7:00pm, The Northern Market
• Sharkeygroup + Jazz Club DJs, 7:00pm, The Chemic Tavern
• A Night In Havana featuring Eliane Correa & La Evolución, 7:00pm, Howard Assembly Room
• Blur the Lines, 7:30pm, City Varieties Music Hall
• Ian Shaw Sings Stephen Sondheim, 7:30pm, Clothworkers Centenary Hall
• Lucy-Anne Daniels, 7:30pm, The Cryer at GSAL
• Offshoots x Maz Fundraiser, 7:30pm, Downstairs at the Fenton
• Two Premiers: Fergus Quill and Nika Ticciati, 8:00pm, Hyde Park Book Club
• Alligator Gumbo, 10:20pm, The Domino Club

May 23

• Paul Murphy: In Conversation, 5:30pm, Hyde Park Book Club
• Ancient Infinity Orchestra, 7:30pm, City Varieties Music Hall
• Jazz Dance Party with Paul Murphy, 9:00pm, Hyde Park Book Club
• Retrospect, 9:30pm, Northern Guitars

May 24

• Fight the Giant, 1:30pm, Seven Arts
• Abtuse, 3:00pm, Northern Guitars
• Warriors Rise Showcase: David Kayode + Yamikani + Miles Hardy Quartet, 7:00pm, Brudenell Social Club
• Tian Qiyi + Crowd Work, 7:30pm, The Wardrobe
• Jo Harrop Quartet and Hannah Horton Quartet, 7:30pm, City Varieties Music Hall
• Emma Rawicz's INKYRA, 7:45pm, Howard Assembly Room

May 25

• Big Bamboo X Pitanga, 7:30pm, The Attic
• Kit Downes, 7:30pm, Mill Hill Chapel
• Jazz Sabbath, 7:30pm, City Varieties Music Hall

May 27 (post-festival special)

• Vipertime x Moron Butler: A Jazz/Punk Meltdown Album Launch, 7:30pm, Wharf Chambers (membership required)

Where can I get tickets to the events at Leeds Jazz Festival 2026?

There is no single blanket festival pass available; instead, all events are ticketed individually to keep things flexible.

You can browse the full day-by-day line-up and secure tickets for every performance via the official website, with many flagship listings handled by Ticketpass or individual venue box offices.

Prices span a budget-friendly range, from a wide selection of completely free daytime sessions and panels up to £5 to £20 for standard evening gigs, topping out at around £34 for major theatre headliners.

Because many independent venues have strict capacity limits, booking advance tickets online is highly recommended.