Buxton International Festival throws open the doors to its 2026 Jazz Weekender with a night that sets the tone for four days of talented jazz musicians.

Curated by our new Jazz Director Wesley Stephenson, this is where the energy begins, inside the Festival's own jazz club at The Palace Hotel. The space is intimate, close to the music, and guaranteed to put audiences right at the heart of the action.

Thursday's performances showcase two incredible forces in British jazz. The evening kicks off with Laura Jurd's Rites and Revelations followed by a brilliant set from the Denys Baptiste and Tony Kofi Quintet celebrating the music of Coltrane and Cannonball. It's a double bill that promises both power and soul in equal measure.

Laura Jurd - Rites and Revelations
Doors 6pm / Performance 6.30pm - 8.15pm (Palace Hotel)

Denys Baptiste / Tony Kofi - Quintet (Cannonball / Coltrane)
Doors 8.30pm / Performance 9pm - 10.45pm / Curfew 11pm (Palace Hotel)

Duration of performances may differ from the ablove.
Day pass for Thu 9 Jul is £30.

Now in its fifth year, the jazz programme continues to evolve, bringing together artists whose styles range from soulful and reflective to bold, inventive, and rhythmically electric. The Jazz Weekender programme is shaped by world class musicianship, improvisation, storytelling, and that unmistakable sense of spontaneity that only live jazz can deliver.

Whether joining for a single day or settling in for the full weekend, audiences will find an atmosphere filled with warmth, creativity, and the buzzing joy of live performance. It is a chance to hear music that moves, surprises, and celebrates the breadth of the UK jazz scene, all in a unique Buxton setting.

This year's weekender features an impressive collection of artists and ensembles.

Palace Hotel: Thu 9 Jul

Laura Jurd - Rites and Revelations
Doors 6pm / Performance 6.30pm - 8.15pm

Denys Baptiste / Tony Kofi - Quintet (Cannonball / Coltrane)
Doors 8.30pm / Performance 9pm - 10.45pm / Curfew 11pm

Palace Hotel: Fri 10 Jul

Andrew McCormack Trio (Confirmed)
Doors 11.30am / Performance 12pm - 1.45pm

Zoë Gilby with Andy Champion (The Music of Duke Ellington) + Johnny Hunter Trio featuring Nat Birchall (The Music of Elvin Jones
Doors 2pm / Performances 2.30pm - 4.45pm

Mario Bakuna Band
Doors 7.30pm / Performance 8pm - 9.15pm

Josephine Davies - Satori Quartet featuring Alcyona Mick
Doors 9.45pm / Performance 10.15pm / Curfew 12am

Palace Hotel: Sat 11 Jul

Noa Levy, Alan Barnes and The Paul Edis Trio (Portrait in Evans)
Doors 12.30pm / Performance 1pm - 2.45pm

Alina Bzhezhinska HipHarpCollective Quintet
Doors 6.30pm / Performance 7pm - 8.45pm

Darius Brubeck Quartet
Doors 9.30pm / Performance 10pm / Curfew 12am

Palace Hotel: Sun 12 Jul

Fraser Fifield - Secret Path Trio + Olivia Moore and Adam Fairhall
Doors 12.30pm / Performance 1pm - 3pm

Arun Ghosh Quintet
Doors 3.30pm / Performance 4pm - 5.45pm

Buxton Opera House: Sun 12 Jul

Courtney Pine - Modern Day Jazz Story
Doors 8.30pm / Performance 9pm / Set Length and Curfew TBC