Building on last year’s success, Swanage Jazz Festival 2023 will be returning to its traditional home of Sandpit Field, while also retaining The Mowlem as a venue and offering a ticket reduction to Swanage residents.
Tickets have already gone on sale for the 32nd Swanage Jazz Festival which is from Friday 7th July to Sunday 9th July 2023, and all those living within the BH19 postcode area, which includes Swanage, Studland, Langton Matravers and Worth Matravers are being offered a 10 percent discount.

Swanage Jazz Festival returns to Sandpit Field after an absence of many years
Return of the Sandpit Field Marquee
The addition of the marquee on Sandpit Field overlooking the sea, as well as The Mowlem will mean the festival will have two 400 capacity venues plus further venues in town. While all the details are still to be confirmed the plan is for the Sandpit Field Marquee to host contemporary jazz.
The Centre just off the High Street will host more traditional New Orleans jazz. The fourth main venue is the Swanage Conservative Club. There will also be a free fringe programme in pubs and hotels across the town.

Jazz will be back on stage at The Mowlem

The Centre will host New Orleans jazz in 2023
Headline names include:
- The James Taylor Quartet
- The Claire Martin and her Trio
- Alina Bzhezinska’s Hip Harp Collective with Vimala Rowe
- Zara McFarlane sings Sarah Vaughan
- Tony Kofi’s Inside Straight
- Issie Barrett’s Interchange – 10 piece all female band
- Alyn Shipton’s Friends of New Orleans
- Chris Hodgkin’s Tribute to Humphrey Lyttelton

Chair of Swanage Jazz Festival Paul Kelly with the Mayor of Swanage Tina Foster
“Top quality British Jazz in an unbeatable setting”
Chair of Swanage Jazz Festival, Paul Kelly said:
“We staged our 2022 Festival to great acclaim. We are delighted to be expanding the festival capacity by going back onto Sandpit Field.
“We will now have two sizable venues with fantastic sea views and the increased capacity will address some venue capacity issues we had in 2022.
“We will be adding to the published programme in the coming weeks. Once again Swanage will offer a wide range of top quality British Jazz in an unbeatable setting”.

Joining in the jazz parade along Shore Road
New Orleans Parade along Shore Road
On Friday, the programme will start at the earlier time of 4 pm, while on Saturday the festival will kick off with the traditional New Orleans Parade along Shore Road, featuring James Emmett’s Ragtime Revellers.
Ticket prices are £130 for the weekend stroller, £80 for a Saturday or Sunday stroller and £40 for a Friday stroller. Heavily discounted tickets are available for accompanied under 16s. Details of the local residents’ 10 percent discount and how to get it will be announced soon.
A weekend stroller ticket will give access to more than 40 bands.

The new logo for 2023
Further information
- More details of the festival and how to purchase tickets can be found on its website