Penarth Jazz Festival returns from Wednesday 14 to Sunday 18 October 2026, with live music, cinema, workshops, talks, dance and exhibitions at venues across Penarth.
The main programme will feature performances at Penarth Pier Pavilion, culminating in a Sunday evening concert by the Capital City Jazz Orchestra at the Paget Rooms.
Singer Ian Shaw will perform at Penarth Pier Pavilion on Friday 16 October, with a vocal workshop earlier that afternoon. Friday’s evening concert is at 7.30pm.
The live programme opens on Wednesday 14 October with the Mark Sambell Trio as part of a Pizza and Piano Night. Thursday includes an illustrated cinema talk from John Hellings, followed by the Keith Little Trio with Jane Williams that evening.
On Saturday, June Campbell Davies will lead a jazz dance class, before the Debs Hancock Trio present The First Ladies of Jazz. The Jack Pearce Quintet will perform in the evening.
On Sunday morning, the Ross Hicks Trio, performing as Los Diablos Ritmicos, will play at the Pavilion, followed in the afternoon by Ms. Maggie & The Cat’s Pyjamas. The Capital City Jazz Orchestra closes the festival on Sunday evening at the Paget Rooms.
The Pavilion cinema programme includes Everybody Digs Bill Evans, a 2026 biographical drama about pianist and composer Bill Evans; Bird, Clint Eastwood’s film about saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker; and Miles Ahead, starring Don Cheadle as Miles Davis.
An exhibition, Her Frame, Her Sound, will celebrate women in jazz through photography, alongside talks, workshops and jazz dance.
A Festival Pass is available offering access to the festival programme at a saving compared with individual tickets. Tickets for individual events and the Festival Pass are available through Penarth Pier Pavilion.
Cllr Rhiannon Birch, Cabinet Member for Education, Arts and the Welsh Language, said: “Penarth Jazz Festival is a fantastic example of the vibrant cultural programme we want to see flourishing across the Vale of Glamorgan.
“This year’s festival brings together an incredibly varied programme, from internationally acclaimed performers and big band jazz to cinema, workshops, dance and exhibitions, creating opportunities for both dedicated jazz fans and those discovering the genre for the first time.
“Penarth Pier Pavilion provides a truly special setting for live music and cultural events, and it is wonderful to see the festival making use of The Paget Rooms, Penarth too. I’m particularly pleased to see a programme that celebrates established artists while also providing opportunities for people to participate, learn and experience jazz in new ways.
“I hope residents and visitors alike will take the opportunity to enjoy what promises to be a brilliant celebration of music, creativity and culture in Penarth.”
