At the beginning of the summer Canary Wharf announced plenty of free events taking place among its futuristic buildings and bank headquarters. The list so far has included Shakespeare plays, opera, gigs, sport screenings, pop-up food markets and even beach rugby. This August, in addition to this outdoor extravaganza, there's the Canary Wharf Jazz Festival which takes place from Friday 15 August until Sunday 17 August.
The grassy grounds of Canada Square Park will host three days of jazz music, featuring solo singers and ensembles playing completely for free. Be you a newbie or a long-time enthusiast, this is a good opportunity to listen to live music in an outdoor setting. There's something for everyone: jazz-funk, Latin, soul, instrumental and folk are all represented in this year’s line-up of world artists.
The fun starts on Friday 15 August with two evening performances: on stage, Ed Baker and Friends kick the evening off at 7pm with their mix of jazz and rock, followed by the exuberant Riot Jazz Brass Band. On both Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 August, music starts earlier at 1.30pm until 8.30pm: every day there will be four main acts on the stage. Performers include British new talents such as Zara McFarlane, GoGo Penguin and Nostalgia 77. The big ensembles on stage will be world-famous Joe Acheson’s Hidden Orchestra with Phil Cardwell on trumpet, the extravagant Yiddish Twist Orchestra and Andy Sheppard Quartet, who will close the festival. See website for full schedule.
Fun is guaranteed but you'll have to do it without a deck chair: portable furniture is not permitted and neither are glass bottles.
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Canary Wharf Jazz Festival takes place at Canada Square Park, close to Canary Wharf tube station. The festival runs 15-17 August and it's totally free. Please note that as space is unreserved and sometimes limited, we suggest you turn up early to avoid disappointment.
