Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival returns this July with a varied line-up of traditional and contemporary jazz, trad, blues and swing music. 

Taking place from Friday 14–Sunday 23 July across several Edinburgh venues (including Festival Theatre, Queen's Hall, St Bride's Centre, The Jazz Bar and George Square Spiegeltent) this year's festival boasts more than 110 events, including ten livestreamed and pre-recorded performances available to watch online.

^{Theon Cross /} 

Highlights include performances from Jools Holland's Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Ibibio Sound Machine and Hamish Stuart & The Tomorrow Band, who are celebrating 50 years of Average White Band's 1973 album Show Your Hand. Showcasing an array of local talent is a Scottish Jazz expo featuring well-known names like Fergus McCreadie, Graham Costello's STRATA, Seonaid Aitken, kitti and AKU!, while American artists and traditions are celebrated in performances from saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin and New Orleans all-women ensemble The Original Pinettes Brass Band, as well as a free-to-attend Mardi Gras concert taking place in the middle of the Grassmarket (full line-up coming in July).

^{The Original Pinettes Brass Band}

Adding to the international scope of this year's event is SPARK, a Norwegian strand of the festival curated by director of Oslo Jazz Festival Øyvind Skjerven Larsen. Performing artists include Elephant9, ASQ, Mona Krogstad, Kristina Fransson and Liv Hauge, plus a special collaboration between Scottish National Jazz Orchestra's Tommy Smith and Norwegian double bassist and drummer Arild Andersen and Thomas Strønen. 

For the young jazzers in your life, Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival's Jazz For Kids programme features a range of interactive workshops led by leading Scottish musicians taking place across the whole city, from Currie Community Centre to Portobello.

Find out more about 2023's Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival programme now.