Manchester jazz festival announces huge Band on the Wall closing party

Manchester jazz festival returns with a blockbuster 30th-anniversary edition this month.

Running from Fri 16 May – Sun 25 May, the 10-day party will once again take over some of the city’s best venues, including Low Four Studios, Flawd, Stage & Radio, St Ann’s Church, Matt & Phreds, RNCM, Forsyth Music Shop, The Stoller Hall and The Carlton Club.

The iconic Band on the Wall will also be a focal point of this year’s festival, hosting an extended weekend-long closing party. Stepping up to help close manchester jazz festival 2025 in electric style will be Mammal Hands, who bring their mesmerising live show to the venue on Thu 22 May.

On Fri 23 May, Band on the Wall welcomes saxophonist Jasmine Myra, who Jazzwise describe as ‘ushering in a new generation of spiritual jazz’.

Sat 24 May sees Alina Bzhezhinska’s HipHarp Collective return to mjf with special guest Brian Jackson to celebrate the centenary of one of the foremost proponents of spiritual jazz, Alice Coltrane, closely followed by a late night gig with Gia Fu + Me Gusta DJS + Special Guests.

Then, on Sun 25 May, Jazz Jamaica promise to bring proceedings to a rip-roaring close for another year.

This year also sees the manchester jazz festival partnering with Aviva Studios, home of Factory International, for the very first time. To mark three decades of the event, organisers have curated a special exhibition Aviva that takes a closer look at the history of Manchester’s longest-running music festival.

The exhibition, which runs from Tue 13 May – Sun 25 May, is free and will feature archival photos, footage, memorabilia and more, spanning mjf’s growth and achievements. On the last day of the exhibition, mjf’s Artistic Director and co-founder, Steve Mead, will give a personalised exhibition walkthrough taking place 2pm – 2.30pm and 4.30pm – 5pm.

To see the full manchester jazz festival lineup, or to book tickets, click the button below.