It is possible that there is no music that allows for the expression of feelings and emotions quite like jazz. Part of the problem with it is that some people have been unfortunate enough to listen to bad jazz when they were first introduced to it, and that put them off forever. Great jazz can lift your soul, pull you up by your socks, and make you feel things you didn’t know you could feel. That is why the Guildford Jazz & Soul Festival is the place to go to hear some top-notch jazz from people who know and love it.
Live Jazz Music Over Six Weeks
If you’re interested in going along to the Guildford Jazz Festival, then the first thing that you’re going to want to know is when it is happening. The really good news for lovers of jazz is that it isn’t just one and done when it comes to the Festival in 2025, instead being set over a period of six weeks. From the late part of August through to the start of October, there will be music events taking place across Guildford that will be putting jazz front and centre, all put on by the not-for-profit community arts organisation Guildford Jazz.
If you are interested in experiencing a little bit of jazz but aren’t quite sure whether it’s really the genre for you, then you don’t need to worry; the Guildford Jazz Festival is about jazz music, yes, but is also a chance to celebrate soul music as well as live music in general. You are going to get the chance to head into Guildford at almost any time across the six weeks in question and experience some incredibly talented musicians demonstrating their skills and abilities, offering you the chance to fall in love with their music.
Multiple Venues Across Guildford
As you might well imagine from a Jazz Festival that is lasting for six weeks, it isn’t confined to just one location. Instead, there are places all across Guildford where you will be able to head along and experience the joy of live music. Here is a look at some of the venues where the Jazz Festival will be taking place:
- G Live – Guildford
- Department of Music and Media – University of Surrey
- The Guildford Pavilion
- Shardana
- The Stoke
- Tunsgate Quarter Guildford
- Coppa Club
- Rogues Bar
- Cosy Club Guildford
- Saviour’s Guildford
- Solar Sisters
- Growlers & Cans
- Abbots Hospital Guildford
- The Guildford Guild Hall
- The Keep
About Guildford Jazz
The first organisation that looked to introduce jazz to Guildford in a meaningful way was created by Heather and Colin Tipton in 1982. The pair created ‘Jazz at Stoke’, named after the Stoke Hotel where their monthly gigs took place, seeing jazz as a medium to garner some interest. In 1988 the club was moved to Guildford’s old Civic Hall, then on to the newly opened Electric Theatre. It ran a programme of live jazz shows until 2008, which was the point at which things began to fizzle out for the pair.
Jazz in Guildford was revived in 2011 by Marianne Windham, who was herself a professional jazz bassist at the time and created Guildford Jazz. Supported by a small team, Windham is the Chair of Guildford Jazz and wants to bring the musical form to the wider community. As part of this, Guildford Jazz works to host national and international artists, as well as putting on workshops and jam sessions to give musicians of almost any ability the chance to get involved in some live music. They have looked to evolve and change where possible.
During the global health crisis in 2020, for example, Guildford Jazz moved online and delivered a series of streamed live gigs that helped to introduce jazz to a new audience. The entire point of the organisation is to be ambitious, looking for new partnerships and new ways to introduce people to the type of music that those involved all adore. The point of jazz is that it is open and available for all, so Guildford Jazz have made efforts to appeal to a younger audience whilst also hoping to maintain the older one that has always been around.
What You Can Expect
It is a little trite and far too simplistic to simply say that you can expect ‘jazz music’ at the Guildford Jazz Festival. Instead, we can look to the kinds of events that Guildford Jazz have put on in the past to get a sense of what kind of thing might happen during the six weeks of the Jazz Festival. At the start of April 2025, for example, Guildford Jazz were responsible for the performance of Vimala Rowe with John Etheridge and the ‘Blue Spirits Trio’. Later in the month was a session by Rod Youngs Quartet, which featured Denys Baptiste.
The Terrnace Collie Piano Trio performed Lunchtime Jazz at the Guildford Institute, whilst free entry was on offer for people at the April Britannia Jazz Jam at the Britannia Pub. Towards the end of April, Transatlantic Hot Club performed at the Guildford Pavilion, then in May Motet and the Joe Garland Band put on a celebration of jazz, funk, and soul at the Boileroom. The Guildford Pavilion also played host to the Andy Baker and Mark Lockheart Quintet as well as the Nicolas Meier World Group.
They are just some of the events that the Guildford Jazz organisation has looked to put on recently to give you a sense of what the flavour of the Guildford Jazz Festival might be like. Whether you love jazz or not, it is a great time to experience live music in Guildford.