Every year, the EFG London Jazz Festival brings together the best and brightest of the genre in venues across the city, from the capital’s major arts venues like Southbank Centre and Barbican, to atmospheric gig spots like Village Underground, EartH Theatre and Union Chapel.
The 2026 line-up promises a bounty of bops, whether you’re looking to discover some of the most exciting new names in the genre (Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet, Sun Nov 15 at King’s Place) or witness some legends in action (Yasuaku Shimizu, Sun Nov 15 at Milton Court).
There’ll be a series of special gigs dedicated to the greats, from a night celebrating the centenary of John Coltrane (Coltrane 100, Fri Nov 13 at the Barbican) to Dave Okumu’s genre-hopping exploration of his musical heroes (DVTN: Music that Changes the World, Sun Nov 15 at Union Chapel).
And it’s not just jazz on offer; you can also catch everything from Portuguese fado (Mariza, Sun Nov 15 at Royal Festival Hall) and electroswing (Caravan Palace, Sat Nov 14 at ARC) to trip-hop (Morcheeba, Fri Nov 13 at the Troxy) and drum and bass (Goldie with his Live Band, Orchestra and Special Guests, Sat Nov 15 at Royal Festival Hall).
As well as tons of concerts every day, there are also film screenings, talks, masterclasses, workshops and more, many of them taking place at the festival’s pop-up hub The Jazz Social. Check out the full programme here.
With 68 venues, more than 300 performers and 100,000 gig goers, the EFG London Jazz Festival has grown into one of London’s biggest annual cultural events. This year’s festival runs from Fri Nov 14 – Sun Nov 23, and it’s looking like a cracker. But with so many events on offer, all that jazz can get a bit confusing even for seasoned festivalgoers. So we’ve put together a handy gig finder to help you achieve jazz nirvana this November.