Jazz Cafe festival – ‘unforgettable live experiences’ [Hannah Jeffries]

IT was 36 years ago a nondescript bank in Parkway, Camden Town, closed its doors for the last time. The builders stripped the place out. The result? The creation of a world famous venue – the Jazz Cafe.

And while the place is going as strong as ever and has carved a special place for its intelligent booking policies – it’s offered stages to stars from reggae, funk, jazz, hip hop, soul and much more – its owners, the Columbo Group, are never ones to rest on their laurels.

Three years ago they decided to take the spirit of the Jazz Cafe, to a larger setting and established the Jazz Cafe Festival in Burgess Park, Southwark. It boasts four stages throughout the day.

The line-up has been announced this week and true to form, the JC team have a mix of upcoming acts and established stars. Headlining is soul singer Ari Lennox. Hailing from Washington DC, she plans to perform a list of tunes from her latest, global-selling LP, Vacancy. The festival is the singer’s only UK date in 2026.

The JC festival has also bucked the fact that so many festivals have a male-dominated programme. Also hitting the main stage is Greentea Peng: the south Londoner’s debut release in 2016 announced a new R&B and soul voice from the UK.

The British female artist vibe continues with a show by Jaz Karis, a Brit school graduate who is influenced by the NW1 and Amy Winehouse, she combines an fuzzed out acoustics with a trans-Atlantic twinge.

For those wanting something a little more on the four-to-the-floor House music vibe, the veteran of many a rave, Nightmares On Wax (the DJ George Evelyn from Leeds) is booked in for a set in the Four Corners stage.

Also on the decks is System Olympia, the female DJ and producer, who has created trippy, synthy tracks she releases on her own label, Okay Nature: her music combines some classic piano leads to a futuristic jazz’d out backdrop.

Festival programmer Ruari Frew told Review the event draws on “carefully curated programming and unmistakable spirit, reflecting the venue’s long-standing legacy of nurturing groundbreaking artists and creating unforgettable live experiences.

“Blending soulful R&B with boundary-pushing hip-hop and electronic music, the festival will transform Burgess Park into a lively showcase – bringing London more unforgettable moments, just as its iconic venue has done for the past 35 years.”

• Jazz Cafe festival, Sunday August 2, 2026. See https://thejazzcafe.com/event/jazz-cafe-festival-2026/?