The line up for the annual Newcastle-under-Lyme Jazz & Blues Festival 2023 has been announced as the popular music event returns to the town centre following a three-year hiatus.
Organised by Newcastle-under-Lyme BID, the Jazz & Blues Festival is set to bring additional footfall into the town centre to support local businesses, as well as fostering the growth of the already vibrant local music and live performance scene.
The announcement of the 16th Jazz and Blues is great news for the live music scene and venues in Newcastle, coming just weeks after the success of Lymelight Festival, which saw thousands of attendees take to the streets for the outdoor event in April.
This Bank Holiday, more than 50 artists from across the county will join the three-day festival to perform in 15 much-loved local venues in Newcastle, from Friday, May 26-Sunday, May 28.
But kicking it all off at the New Vic Theatre, on Wednesday, May 24, will be The Jay Rayner Sextet, as the food critic kicks off the celebrations with a blistering performances of iconic tunes from jazz greats like Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver and Dexter Gordon, through to song-writing legends including Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen and Joan Armatrading.
As many as 15 other town centre venues will host live performances including:
- Castletown Distillery
- Brampton Museum
- Ten Green Bottles
- Cappello Lounge
- The Golden Lion
- The Crossways
- The Clubhouse
- The Museum
- Artisan Tap
- The Victoria
- The Carlton
- The Rigger
- Mitchell’s
- The Jug
- Wellers
Friday’s highlights include Violet Line, See Ya Later, Pete Frampton & The Escape Committee and Paul Gibson. while a jazz packed Saturday sees performances from Sherry Counsellors, Tree Katz, Dirt Rooster, The Night Shift and Barrelhouse Jukes. Closing the festival on Sunday is Flipside Collective, Junkhouse Dog, Pistol Pete Wearn, Red Berryn and Rhiannon Hill from the band Kira Mac.
Back in 2018, the Jazz and Blues Festival attracted more than 38,000 people into Newcastle and a similar number are expected to enjoy the party atmosphere again this year.
It’s important to note that some of the venues may charge an entry fee for some of the performances. I’ve noted these where available.
You can find the full line up, venue splits and stage times here:
Wednesday, May 24
New Vic Theatre
- 19:00 The Jay Rayner Sextet – tickets from £24.50 here
Friday, May 26
Artisan Tap – free
- 19:00 Simon Davies
- 19:45 Vox Americana
- 21:15 Violet Line
Castletown Distillery – free
- 20:00 Paul Gibson
The Clubhouse – free
- 20:00 Seez Ya Later
The Rigger – £3 in advance, more on the door
- 20:00 The Crossroad Deltas
- 21:00 Pete Frampton & The Escape Committee
The Crossroad Deltas performing at Lymelight 2023
Saturday, May 27
Brampton Museum – free
- 14:00 Tree Katz
The Carlton – free
- 14:00 Hayley Strangelove
The Clubhouse – free
- 14:00 Dan Toft & Shannon Whetnall
- 19:00 The Nightshift
The Golden Lion – free
- 15:00 Phill Boyd
Mitchell’s – free
- 15:00 Tony and Jaxx
Cappello Lounge – free
- 15:00 Pete Latham + Al Bruce
- 17:00 Almaz
Castletown Distillery – free
- 15:00 The Entertainment
- 20:00 Dirt Rooster
Ten Green Bottles – free
- 16:00 Marc Gallagher
The Jug – free
- 16:00 Chasing Twisters
The Victoria – free
- 16:00 Flo & Bart
- 20:00 Barrelhouse Jukes
Wellers – free
- 19:00 Double Lively
Artisan Tap – £5
- 19:30 Zip Style
- 20:20 Josh Paul
- 20:50 Cassidy Rising
- 22:45 Sherry Councillors
The Museum – free
- 20:00 Phill Boyd
The Crossways – free
- 20:00 The Blasted Oak
- 21:00 The Two Step Goodbyes
The Rigger – £3 in advance, more on the door
- 20:00 Dutty Coat
- 22:00 Tyler Kent Trio
And What
Sunday, May 28
The Rigger – £3 in advance, more on the door
- 17:00 And What
- 18:30 Fever Train
- 20:00 Rhiannon Hill from the Kira Mac Band
The Jug – free
- 12:00 Jazz Club
Brampton Museum – free
- 13:00 Tipitina
Mitchell’s – free
- 14:00 Red Berryn
The Clubhouse – free
- 14:00 The Vanz Duo
- 19:00 Goodfellas Blues Band
The Golden Lion – free
- 15:00 Baxter
Castletown Distillery – free
- 15:00 Steph & Dan
Cappello Lounge – free
- 15:00 Phill Boyd
- 17:00 Junkhouse Dog
Ten Green Bottles – free
- 16:00 Sheena Shine
The Carlton – free
- 16:00 The Entertainment
The Crossways – free
- 16:00 Pistol Pete Wearn
Artisan Tap – free
- 16:00 Tree Katz
- 17:30 Zip Style
- 18:30 Elvis Fontenot
- 20:30 Flip Side Collective
The Victoria – free
- 17:00 The Pluckers
The Museum – free
- 17:30 Catalyst
To keep up to date with the latest all of the latest news for Newcastle-under-Lyme Jazz and Blues, follow @jazzandbluesnewcastle on Facebook or @newcastlebid. Meanwhile, during the same weekend Your City Festival will be taking over Hanley. Find out more about the event here.
