It’s with a heavy heart we have to let you know that there will be no Lancaster Jazz Festival this year. Despite extensive efforts, we have been unable to secure funding from our primary funder and subsequently, we are not able to deliver the festival in 2026.

Since 2011, we have hosted a festival in the city of Lancaster, presenting artists and audiences with a welcoming space to come together and share in the celebration of contemporary jazz music. It’s been a hub for connectivity, collaboration and a spring board for some of the UK’s most innovative artists, creating so many spectacular performances over that time.

We are proud of what this festival has achieved, and we were looking forward to continuing in 2026. Most recently, across 5 days in 2025, more than 5,500 of you joined us and over 200 artists for 37 breathtaking performances across 7 venues around the city. We also hosted an artist development and networking day, two days of multi-artform community workshops and two series of educational schools workshops.

We know that this will be disappointing news, and our team shares that disappointment deeply. We’ve explored multiple options to take things forward but we hold strong these two core principles: that we will not compromise on the quality and experience for artists and audiences which we are known for, and that we will not ask people to work for free.

Please know that we’re working hard to develop and secure the future of Lancaster Jazz Festival, and we plan to be back as big and bright as ever in 2027.

Until then,
Dave, Lucy and the Lancaster Jazz Festival team.