Manchester Jazz Fest 2022 returns with Tim Garland, Nubya Garcia, Ayanna Witter-Johnson and much more

This year’s Manchester Jazz Festival returns in emphatic style with a richly diverse line-up running from 20 to 29 May at venues around the city. The expanded programme builds on the festival’s passionately progressive outlook that heavily focuses on current and future generations of jazz musicians plus key headliners this year including Nubya Garcia, Tim Garland, Anthony Joseph, Zoe Rahman, Rum Buffalo and Daniel Casimir.

The festival opens with a free weekender programme at Escape to Freight Island on 20-22 May, while weekday gigs will span St Ann’s Church, Matt & Phreds, as well as Forsyth Music and The Yard with MJF partners NQ Jazz, plus a closing extended weekend-long party at Band on the Wall from May 26-29.

Highlights include: Escape to Freight Island, 20-22 May, with Daniel Casimir, Xhosa Cole Quartet, Intergalactic Brasstronauts, Emma Johnson’s Gravy Boat, Dirty Freud, Mamilah, Dilettante, Sarah Heneghan: Power Out, Kara, Nguvu, The Deportees, Abbie Finn Trio, Timeline, Ain’t Misbehaving’, family-friendly activities plus DJs all weekend.

The Yard, presented in association with NQ Jazz, 23-25 May: Anthony Joseph, Emma Rawicz Quintet and Alex Hitchcock’s Dream Band.

St Ann’s Church, 23-27 May: Zoe Rahman, Skylla, Brigitte Beraha’s Lucid Dreamers, Sara Colman & Rebecca Nash.

Matt and Phreds, 20-29 May: Jeremy Sassoon Quartet, Heavy Beat Brass Band, Alligator Gumbo, Honey Bee Jazz, Rum Buffalo, Baiana, Nonunonu, Shapeshifters and M&P x MJF Open Jam night. Band on the Wall, 26-29 May: Nubya Garcia, Mulatu Astatke, Tim Garland Group, Gary Crosby Sextet: Mingus Moves, Ayanna Witter Johnson and Hackney Colliery Band.

Forsyth Music, 27 May: The Ronnie Scott’s Trio featuring James Pearson - Remembering Oscar Peterson: A portrait of a jazz legend.

For full programme details and tickets visit www.manchesterjazz.com