What’s on

I’m delighted to present my third jazz series at Buxton International Festival. We had so many great live performances in 2023, and so many sell-outs, and we aim to repeat those highs including a very special New Orleans show in the Opera House. Thank you for your continued support.

Once again, we continue to take advantage of the amazing facilities on offer in Buxton by using the Palace Hotel, the Pavilion Arts Centre and Buxton Opera House as our main venues. These are all within close proximity of each other and the town’s many fine cafes and restaurants. The atmosphere in Buxton is an incredible thing to be a part of during the Festival. There’s a warmth and friendliness about the place that’s hard to beat.

Jazz at The Palace

If you prefer the intimacy and the darkness of the traditional jazz club, welcome to Jazz at the Palace, where you are up close and personal with the performers. We have a real powerhouse opening from Ian Shaw and his band on Thursday 4 July, and then we have gigs all the way through to Monday, from solos to octets, piano and sax, to afro-jazz. The set-up at the Palace Hotel works brilliantly; sit back, have a beer or a whisky, and relax as we bring you an incredible selection of live music.

Last year, the first Monday of the Festival saw an outstanding gig with Wynton Marsalis. The day took on a star-studded event of it’s own.This year, we bring you the New Orleans Social Club. It’s Adrian Cox’s warm, rich and bluesy sound, steeped in the music of New Orleans, with the passion that embodies the essence of the city. We’ll weave from New Orleans Rags to Blues, with the feel of Jelly Roll Morton and the elegance of Ellington. Expect an evening of live music that draws you in and takes you on a journey full of personality. The Adrian Cox Quintet, PLUS a strings section AND Strictly Come Dancing’s Tommy Blaize, will be in the iconic Opera House at 9pm and will be the grand finale of our opening jazz weekend extravaganza.

Following the opening jazz weekend, we have some wonderful concerts amongst the operas, books and music events during the following two weeks. In 2024, we celebrate the centenary of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, and who better to direct a live performance than Ronnie Scott’s Artistic Director, James Pearson, and Buxton favourite Lizzie Ball? They present a stellar septet, which weaves its way through many American classics.

We also have the full Jeremy Sassoon Orchestra playing the music of Ray Charles, and we finish the festival with a live concert of A Kind of Blue, the iconic album by Miles Davis. There’s so much to look forward to.

Please come and say hello.