- Various Venues Across Aberdeen, 13 to 23 March 2025 featuring Georgia Cécile, Neil Cowley Trio, Aberdeen Jazz Festival Orchestra, Niki King and many more.
- View the full programme + buy tickets at aberdeenjazzfestival.com.
Aberdeen Jazz Festival returns this March 2025 for its 22nd year, bringing an electrifying lineup of world-class talent, innovative performances, and community-focused events to venues across the city. Spanning 11 days with over 30 events across 9 venues, this year’s festival promises a rich and diverse celebration of jazz, showcasing everything from soulful vocalists to avant-garde ensembles.
From left to right: Rachel Lightbody (image Elly Lucas), Norman Willmore and Corrie Dick of normanandcorrie, image courtesy of the artists, Georgia Cécile (image by Jelani Pomell), Matt Carmichael (image by Camille Lemoine).
Produced by Jazz Scotland and supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and Aberdeen City Council, the 2025 programme is set to inspire audiences with an eclectic mix of artists and experiences. With intimate performances at the iconic award winning Blue Lamp to site-specific shows at the atmospheric Bon Accord Baths, the festival continues to cement its reputation as one of Scotland's leading cultural events.
This year’s line-up is packed with standout moments. Jazz FM’s ‘UK Jazz Act of the Year’ Georgia Cécile takes the stage on 14 March, performing tracks from her new EP City Girl. That same evening, the Neil Cowley Trio return after a seven-year hiatus to perform music from their much-anticipated album Entity.
On 15 March, a unique music-meets-film collaboration between Norman Willmore and Corrie Dick offers an immersive audiovisual experience. The next day, Rose Room, Scotland’s premier Hot Club Swing ensemble, marks their 15th anniversary with a show filled with Django Reinhardt-inspired Gypsy Jazz, showcasing tracks from their new album It’s Been A Long, Long Time.
Internationally renowned Portable Infinity, featuring an all-star lineup including Magnus Östrom, will kick off their European tour on 20 March at Aberdeen Jazz Festival, bringing a forward-thinking fusion of jazz influences. On 22 March, Matt Carmichael celebrates his highly anticipated third album Dancing With Embers (out 28th March) with a powerful blend of melodic jazz and folk music.
On 23 March, Dorian Ford’s Köln Concert 50 will take place in the afternoon, paying tribute to the legendary Keith Jarrett and marking the 50th anniversary of this iconic work. That evening, the festival closes with a special New Jazz Showcase at The Blue Lamp, spotlighting some of the most exciting emerging talents on the scene. The lineup features Chun-Wei Kang, India Blue and Dara Dubh.
This year’s programme also includes a live music collaboration with City Moves and their Dance for Parkinsons classes, ensuring that the joy of jazz is experienced through movement and rhythm. Free lunchtime concerts at venues such as Cowdray Hall and Middlefield Community Centre make high-quality live music available to all, while a special concert in sheltered housing complex Margaret Clyne Court brings jazz directly to residents who may not otherwise be able to attend.
Other immersive events include Soundbath at Bon Accord Baths (16 March), where Rachel Lightbody and David Bowden transform the Art Deco swimming pool into a mesmerising performance space. That same day, Jazz the Day at The Great Western Community Centre offers access to three stages of live music with one ticket.
The Rhyme Lounge with HOURS (15 March) pairs Scottish rapper Tzusan with the HOURS Live Quartet, blending hip-hop with live jazz instrumentation. On 16 March, the Aberdeen Jazz Festival Orchestra, led by Richard Michael, unites top local ensembles—Jazz at the Blue Lamp Community Big Band, Jazz at the Blue Lamp Youth Combo, Aberdeen Jazz Festival Youth Ensemble and local fiddle players—in an exhilarating fusion of jazz and traditional Scottish fiddling.
While celebrating international and UK artists, Aberdeen Jazz Festival remains deeply connected to its home city. By championing local musicians, hosting performances in Aberdeen’s iconic venues, commissioning works inspired by the region, and collaborating with community partners, the festival ensures that jazz feels both globally relevant and embedded in the city’s cultural fabric.
Coralie Usmani, Artistic Director and CEO Jazz Scotland, said: "We’re so excited to bring this year’s Aberdeen Jazz Festival to life. It’s a programme that celebrates the richness and diversity of jazz - where tradition meets innovation, and where jazz continues to evolve. This year’s programme brings together bold new voices, legendary artists, and unique collaborations that push creative boundaries. It is a celebration of jazz in all its forms, and we can’t wait to share it with audiences old and new. We welcome the certainty of support for Jazz Scotland - and with it, future editions of the Aberdeen Jazz Festival - in Creative Scotland's multi-year funding, and are proud to be one of the few funding recipients based in Aberdeen City."
Simon Gall, Development Director Jazz Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to launch this year’s festival programme, which offers an incredible mix of artists, styles, and experiences. From stalwart jazzers to nu-jazz experimenters, jazz-folk innovators to hip-hop-infused ensembles, there’s something for every listener to enjoy. Beyond the concerts, the festival is a space for learning, collaboration, and participation—whether through workshops, jam sessions, or performing in the Aberdeen Jazz Festival Orchestra. Even the youngest music fans can get involved through family-friendly daytime events. By catering to such a wide range of tastes and audiences, we hope the festival continues to inspire and bring people together through the joy of jazz."
Clare Hewitt, Music Officer at Creative Scotland, said: “Aberdeen Jazz Festival’s 2025 programme showcases a genre that is vibrant and constantly evolving. It is alive to innovative ideas, sounds and influences, and open to everyone. As well as bringing some of the most exciting artists to the event, the festival’s team does amazing work to nurture Aberdeen’s jazz scene and keep it rooted in its communities. Thanks to support from The National Lottery for this year’s festival and the recent announcement of Multi-Year Funding awarded to producers of jazz in Scotland this week, audiences across the country are set to benefit from an enriched festival experience. This increased stability will allow for meaningful grassroots engagement and programming that reflects the diversity of the city’s population and exciting commissions for artists, ensuring that more people than ever can enjoy world-class performances.”
Background
Tickets and More Information - Aberdeen Jazz Festival runs from 13–23 March 2025 across multiple venues. Tickets range from free to £22.50 and are available at www.aberdeenjazzfestival.com.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creativity across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery, which, now in its 30th year, has supported over 14,600 projects with more than £501.9 million in funding through Creative Scotland and its predecessor, the Scottish Arts Council. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot
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