Newcastle Jazz Festival 2026
This year's festival line up will once again feature the best artists from across the North East and the UK jazz scene!
FRIDAY, 7.30PM, MAIN THEATRE
CLARK TRACEY BEM, one of Britain's most accomplished and versatile drummers. A six-time British Jazz Awards 'Best Drums' winner, Tracey grew up immersed in jazz as the son of legendary pianist Stan Tracey. His career spans over 45 years, during which he has recorded more than 100 albums as sideman and leader, toured in over 50 countries, and worked with major international artists including Johnny Griffin, Pharaoh Sanders and Scott Hamilton. He brings his current quintet to Newcastle, featuring leading UK jazz musicians.
SATURDAY, 1PM, STUDIO
OUTRI, a new solo bass project by North East musician Ian 'dodge' Paterson. Blending jazz with folk, electronica and found-sound aesthetics, OUTRI combines organic looped bass with shifting harmonies and glitchy electronics, creating an intimate platform for one-off collaborations with fellow North East musicians.
SATURDAY, 2.15PM, STUDIO
MARK TOOMEY, Teesside saxophonist brings his quartet to the festival, presenting original compositions rooted in the bebop tradition. Toomey's set will emphasise the freedom and expressive possibility at jazz's core.
SATURDAY, 3.45PM, STUDIO
ALEXIA GARDNER, British singer, with Jamaican roots, performs jazz standards and original material. Based in London after eight years in Switzerland and performances in New York, Gardner brings a distinctive warmth and interpretive depth to the jazz vocal tradition, with a voice described as smooth and mellow as fine wine.
SATURDAY, 5.30PM, STUDIO
RORY INGHAM, a trombonist, educator and composer based in London. Winner of Rising Star at the 2017 British Jazz Awards and a finalist in the Carl Fontana Jazz Trombone Competition, Ingham has performed with the BBC Big Band, internationally-acclaimed soloists including Chris Potter and Dave Holland, and at major venues including the Royal Festival Hall and Barbican. He performs with his quartet featuring Dean Stockdale, Michael Whent and John Bradford.
SATURDAY, 8PM, MAIN THEATRE
LAURA JURD, Mercury Prize-nominated trumpeter, presents a special concert reimagining the legacy of Miles Davis on the centenary of his birth. Jurd's distinctive approach to the trumpet is internationally recognised, and this one-off concert brings together leading musicians for what promises to be a significant evening of music. Her programme draws on Davis's catalogue across his career, translating his energy and innovation into contemporary idiom—rock-tinged, groove-based music that honours the spirit of Miles whilst forging new territory.
