The Barclays Cheltenham Jazz Festival’s packed weekend of jazz gigs is now underway with the likes of TrioVD, Dave Holland, John Surman, Polar Bear and John Scofield all among the highlights to come. With big crossover names also appearing that include Jamie Cullum, blues man Eric Bibb and popular jazz singer/saxophonist Curtis Stigers as well as a new outdoor 600-seater arena style Marquee next to the Town Hall and with a busy fringe program taking in the bars and clubs around the town centre it’s going to be an exciting weekend of music. 

The festival, which runs from 28 April until 3 May and is held in association with BBC Radio 2 and sponsored by Jazzwise also features the Budvar free stage, food and drink stalls and a jazz market. In addition there’s a series of group workshops presented by Yamaha for entry level players as well as the finals of the Yamaha Jazz Experience competition; a Budvar Brewed Jazz competition to find the best up and coming jazz band in the country and a Jazz It Up showcase of school jazz bands. There’s definitely something for jazz fans of all ages to enjoy. 



30 April: Joe Stilgoe (7.30pm The Daffodil); Friday Night is Music Night with Buddy Greco, Curtis Stigers and the BBC Concert Orchestra (7.30pm Town Hall Main Hall); Eric Bibb (7.30pm Jazz Arena); Stewart Lee’s Freehouse (8pm The Playhouse Theatre) Trio VD (10pm Town Hall Pillar Room).

1 May: History of British Jazz Rediscovered (10.45pm The Playhouse Theatre); Jazz It Up! (11am The Budvar Stage); Kit Downes Trio (12pm Town Hall Pillar Room); Natalie Williams (12pm Hotel du Vin); Nikki Yeoh Trio with John Surman (1.30pm Town Hall Main Hall); The Destroyers (1.30pm Jazz Arena); Food (3.45pm Town Hall Pillar Room); Phantom Limb (5pm Jazz Arena); Trondheim Jazz Project (5.15pm The Playhouse Theatre); Dave Holland & Pepe Habichuela (7pm Town Hall Main Hall); Stewart Lee’s Freehouse (8pm The Playhouse Theatre); Farmers Market (8.30pm Jazz Arena); Troyka (8.45pm Town Hall Pillar Room); Battle of the Beats Club Night (10.30pm Town Hall Main Hall).

2 May: Duke Ellington’s America (10.45pm The Playhouse Theatre); Jazz It Up! (11am The Budvar Stage); Empirical (12pm Town Hall Pillar Room); Liane Carroll (12pm Hotel du Vin); Carla Bley & The Lost Chords (1.30pm Town Hall Main Hall) Beady Belle (1.45pm Jazz Arena); Jazz Library (3.45pm The Playhouse Theatre); Fly (3.45pm Town Hall Pillar Room); Fringe Magnetic (5.15pm Jazz Arena); Stewart Lee in Conversation (5.15pm The Playhouse Theatre); Chong Vu (6.15pm Town Hall Main Hall); Jamie Cullum (8pm Town Hall Main Hall); Stewart Lee’s Freehouse (8pm The Playhouse Theatre); John Scofield (8.30pm Jazz Arena); Late Night Storytelling (10pm Secret Garden).

3 May: Family Breakfast Show (10.30am Town Hall Main Hall); Cheltenham Untapped (11.30am Jazz Arena); Dave Holland Prize Winner (12pm Town Hall Pillar Room); Live Soundtrack with Matt Calvert (1.30pm The Playhouse Theatre); Cheltenham Untapped (2pm Jazz Arena); Liam Noble & Christine Tobin (3pm Town Hall Pillar Room); Cheltenham Untapped (4pm Jazz Arena) Sid Peacock (4.30pm The Playhouse Theatre); Polar Bear (6pm Jazz Arena) Paloma Faith with The Guy Barker Orchestra (8pmTown Hall Main Hall).

Tickets can be booked through the festival box office on 0844 576 7979 or by visiting www.cheltenhamfestivals.com