A jazz festival which feared it might never return has been hailed a resounding success after appreciative music lovers flocked to Swanage for a weekend of world class performances.
Swanage Jazz Festival, which ran from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th July 2026, attracted enthusiastic audiences to venues across the town just months after an emergency public appeal rescued the event from the brink of collapse.
The Clark Tracey Sextet held an audience at The Mowlem spellbound with their performance of Under Milk Wood
Had faced an uncertain future
The festival had faced an uncertain future after making a loss of around £15,000 in 2025, when it sold 150 fewer weekend stroller tickets than expected, forcing organisers to take out short term loans to pay performers.
But following an urgent appeal last autumn, around 200 supporters donated a remarkable £25,000 in just two weeks, ensuring the much loved event could return for its 35th year, in blazing sunshine.
Under brilliant blue skies, a fresh sea breeze kept temperatures comfortable as two large marquees in Sandpit Field filled with crowds eager to hear some of the most respected names in British jazz.
Fringe festival events were also held at The Mowlem, the Showbar, the Grand Hotel, Swanage Bandstand, the Red Lion pub and the Black Swan, and on Sunday morning there was also the traditional jazz service at the United Reformed Church in High Street.
The Ragtime Revellers, in the New Orleans marquee on Sandpit Field, played classics from the golden age of jazz
“Hope we added something special”
Festival chair Paul Kelly said:
“We can hardly believe that Swanage Jazz Festival has come and gone so quickly, especially when last autumn we thought we might not be here at all.
“The only reason we are here is thanks to 200 generous donors who contributed to our appeal and donated a magnificent £25,000 in just two weeks to allow us to stage this, our 35th annual festival.
“We have a massive thank you to say to everyone who supported us, and all those who have donated a little extra with their ticket purchases.
“For the second year running, we had stunning weather, with the heat tempered by a fresh breeze, and I hope we added something special to the town.”
Big bands at Swanage Bandstand brought out the parasols as crowds sat in the sunshine to listen
“We will definitely be back next year”
Paul added:
“Jazz is a music of risks, which is perhaps what makes it so appealing, the musicians and audiences never quite know where the music is going to go.
“It turns out that running a jazz festival is unfortunately also full of risks, as we have learned, so it was great to see so many people supporting us at the weekend, as it gives us the confidence and certainty that we are doing something right.
“It’s much too early to say how ticket sales have gone, but the advances were as expected and we sold quite a lot of tickets over the weekend too, so we will definitely be back next year.
“I started thinking about the 2027 festival back in May and the real work will start in September, but I am having conversations with people all the time.
“We have about 200 bands wanting to play Swanage Jazz Festival 2027, so the problem is that we are spoiled for choice – so much so that planning it becomes like three dimensional chess!”
Kim Cypher, who has sold out many performances at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club, closed the opening night at Swanage in the main marquee
Attracting visitors from all over the UK
This year’s festival featured what organisers described as one of the strongest line ups on the south coast, with internationally respected musicians performing throughout the weekend.
Headline artists included Alan Barnes, Nigel Price, Greg Abate, Ivo Neame, Olivia Cuttill, Joe Webb, Jo Harrop, Rob Luft, John Etheridge, Christian Garrick, Mark Lockheart, Clark Tracey and Pete Allen.
The programme also celebrated the centenary of jazz legends Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Britain’s acclaimed pianist Stan Tracey, whose Under Milk Wood Suite was performed once again, 60 years after it was first performed.
Founded in 1990, the grassroots festival has become a huge annual event in Swanage, attracting visitors from right across the UK for a weekend of top class music.
Since Paul Kelly’s team took over in 2019, the festival has staged six summer events, presenting nearly 400 events to a combined audience approaching 50,000 people.
The Sara Harris Trio was one of five bands which packed The Showbar over the weekend
“It was amazing”
Paul said:
“We moved the New Orleans programme out of The Mowlem this year to Sandpit Field, which was a little risky as we were a bit worried there would be sound spillage between the two marquees, but there wasn’t.
“We had exceptional performances from Rob Luft, Joe Webb, John Etheridge, Ivo Neame, Asa Martinson, Jo Harrop, The Hothouse Combo, The Steve Waterman Octet and The Ragtime Revellers to name but a few.
“I programmed some acts not really knowing what the reaction would be, but I needn’t have worried, it was amazing. Overall, there has been so much positive feedback from the musicians and the public.”
The Guy Gardner Duo (plus one) were part of the Fringe Festival at the Grand Hotel
Saxist Alan Barnes, who has twice been made BBC’s Jazz Musician of the Year, played on The Mowlem stage with Robert Fowler
The Toozynuff Duo may not be the best at numbers, but perform wonderful music together
Purbeck Youth Jazz Orchestra were one of three big bands who played on Swanage Bandstand
James Emmett’s Ragtime Revellers had a packed New Orleans marquee entranced with their Sunday afternoon set
Further information
- More pictures and news from Swanage Jazz Festival are on its website
