The Wellington Jazz Festival is set to take over Te Whanganui-a-Tara this October with its largest line-up in over a decade.
From 15-19 October, the capital will come alive with more than 200 performances across more than 50 venues.
This year’s Festival is a monumental celebration of jazz in all its forms, with an exciting mix of homegrown talent and internationally acclaimed artists making their Aotearoa debuts. From swing to soul, jazz-hop to funk, fusion to electronic, audiences can expect five days of world-class music spilling across every corner of the city.
Meow & Meow Nui, will present a series of standout performances. R&B singer Zoe Moon will reimagine the timeless music of Roberta Flack in Real Black for Me, with lush live string arrangements by Seth Boy. Romi Wrights will join forces with LEAO, a Samoan project led by guitarist/vocalist David Feauai-Afaese, to create a cross-Pacific collaboration weaving Tokelauan, Samoan, and Hawaiian sounds with jazz improvisation. Wellington soul collective TOI will present Kirikā, a tribute to Aotearoa’s 1970s boogie era, and electronic/hip-hop powerhouse Yoko-Zuna makes their long-awaited return to Pōneke with a reimagining of the music of KAYTRANADA.
Rogue & Vagabond will also host a jam-packed programme. The Rogue Classic Album Series will bring five nights of iconic records performed live by top local musicians. Multi-instrumentalist Tyaan Singh will present The Music of Ghibli, with the magical worlds of Studio Ghibli reimagined by a 12-piece ensemble blending jazz and classical instrumentation. The Dave Wilson Quintet will perform material from his recent projects Free, Free: Meditations on Liberation and Ephemeral and trans-Tasman collective Antipodes will explore the playful intersection of cerebral improvisation and earthy jazz traditions.
Festival friends Capital Blues will present 40 gigs across the Festival at Jack Hackett’s. Jazz pianist and organist Miles Crayford presents an exciting residency of original music with drummer Mike Jensen and Aleister Campbell on guitar. The heavy-hitting Wellington Mingus Ensemble will play a tribute to some of the most stunning music of the last century by Charles Mingus. While The Wellington City Shake-’Em-On-Downers brings the swing music of fun-loving Louis Prima and more.
Second-hand bookshop The Undercurrent is host to performances by acts such as the Daniel Harris Quartet and John Rae’s BOP IT. The Wellington Jazz Cooperative returns to Cuba Barbers for their Festival pop-up with a line-up including the Roger Manins Trio (with Mark Lockett and Tom Botting), Ōtautahi-based trumpet sensation Jack Harré Quartet and Sydney-based drummer Tim Geldens Trio.
Previously commissioned artists including Louisa Williamson, Seth Boy, Riki Gooch, Jake Baxendale and Callum Allardice, as well as 2021 Festival headliner Nathan Haines, are all featuring across the Festival. Bringing fresh energy are The 1867 Combo, a band of high school students and one of the youngest groups ever to play the Festival, they will take to the stage at Coco at The Roxy.
The City Line-up also features a powerhouse programme of previously announced First Release acts, including five-time GRAMMY-winning jazz vocalist Samara Joy (USA) and two-time GRAMMY Award-winning vocalist, composer and bandleader Gregory Porter (USA), both making their Aotearoa debuts at Wellington’s St James Theatre. Composer, vocalist and Noongar woman Bumpy (AUS) will captivate audiences at San Fran with her powerful voice and hypnotic stage presence.
Wellington-raised drummer and composer Myele Manzanza will return home with his international quartet lvdf to premiere his Festival-commissioned work, Music for a Multi-Polar World. The Festival will also see the highly anticipated inaugural performance of the Aotearoa Jazz Orchestra and the Rodger Fox Big Band will deliver a soulful tribute to Ray Charles featuring GRAMMY award-winning vocalist and former Santana lead singer Tony Lindsay (USA) – all at Meow Nui.
Alongside these headline appearances, Festival-goers can also experience Tony Lindsay (USA) performing at Jack Hackett’s with the Capital Blues Club, and Myele Manzanza + Friends at the Rogue Late Lounge keeping the Festival energy alive into the early hours.
With over 200 performances, international exclusives, and a citywide buzz, the Wellington Jazz Festival 2025 cements its place as one of Aotearoa’s most anticipated cultural events.
