Guitarist Bill Frisell will headline at the EFG London Jazz Festival 2025

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From 14–23 November 2025, London will come alive with ten days of boundary-pushing jazz during the EFG London Jazz Festival, now in its 33rd year. Artists from around the world will gather to blend genres, celebrate collaboration and highlight jazz’s global influence — from established icons to rising stars. Here are nine gigs to buy tickets for now before they sell out.

aja monet, Barbican Centre, 14 November

Aja Monet performs in Los Angeles, California.

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Grammy-nominated poet and musician aja monet, this year’s Artist in Residence, brings her acclaimed debut album When the Poems Do What They Do to the festival. Blending the rhythms of blues, jazz, and poetry, her performances delve into themes of Black identity, resistance and the transformative power of love and joy. She will be joinedspecial guests including Yahael Camara-Onono of the Balimaya Project, Sheila Maurice-Grey of KOKOROKO, and Abdelillah Ouahbi of Arfoud Brothers & Sisters.

Tanita Tikaram, Southbank Centre / Royal Festival Hall, 15 November

Tanita Tikaram performs at The Barbican in London, England.

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After eight years away from the stage, best-selling artist Tanita Tikaram returns to London for a rare performance at the Royal Festival Hall. Since rising to fame at 18, Tikaram has been a defining voice of late-1980s music with her debut album Ancient Heart that sold over four million copies. Now, with nine albums to her name, this homecoming concert revisits her remarkable catalogue and unveils new material, performed with a specially assembled 21st-century chamber band featuring Helen O’Hara, Marc Pell, Andy Monaghan, Zosia Jagodzinska, Midori Jaeger, Chris Roberts, and Bartek Glowacki. Opening the evening are cellist-songwriter Zosia Jagodzinska and acclaimed British folk singer-songwriter Luke Sital-Singh.

Sam Amidon + Thomas Bartlett, Union Chapel, 15 November

Sam Amidon performs on stage in Barcelona, Spain.

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American folk artist Sam Amidon will perform from his album Salt River with songs including the Appalachian ballad “Golden Willow Tree” and a thrilling version of Lou Reed’s “Big Sky.” Now based in London, Amidon has collaborated with The National, Beth Orton, Marc Ribot and The Kronos Quartet. Opening the evening will be pianist Thomas Bartlett, performing a rare solo set from his acclaimed album Shelter.

L’Antidote, Kings Place, 15 November

Performing together in the UK for the first time, Bijan Chemirani, Redi Hasa, and Rami Khalifé unite as L’Antidote — an instrumental project born from a shared belief in the healing power of music. The trio blends Chemirani’s mastery of Persian percussion, Hasa’s soulful Albanian cello, and Khalifé’s boundary-pushing piano to create a sound that dissolves borders between classical, folk, and improvisation.

Mulatu Astatke, Royal Festival Hall, 16 November

Ethiopian Jazz musician, composer, and band leader Mulatu Astatke

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Ethiopian composer and multi-instrumentalist Mulatu Astatke, widely known as the father of Ethio-jazz, revolutionised the sound of Addis Ababa in the 1960s by fusing jazz, Latin rhythms and Ethiopian tradition. Now 82, he returns with Mulatu Plays Mulatu, his first major studio album in over a decade, featuring his big band alongside cultural musicians.

Stella Cole + Elysia Biro, Cadogan Hall, 16 November

With her luminous tone and effortless phrasing, Stella Cole always brings timeless glamor and emotional depth to the Great American Songbook. Her debut album reimagines beloved standards — from Barbra Streisand’s When the Sun Comes Out and Judy Garland’s The Boy Next Door — alongside fresh takes on Moon River and Billie Eilish’s My Future. Opening is Elysia Biro, a singer, songwriter, and pianist whose sound merges classical training, jazz harmony, and contemporary pop to create intimate, soulful reflections on self-discovery and love.

Jasmine Myra with Strings + Ancient Infinity Orchestra, Hackney Church, 18 November

Saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Jasmine Myra will bring an exclusive UK performance of her acclaimed new album Rising to Hackney Church. The record expands on her debut Horizons with luminous string arrangements and Myra’s signature blend of emotional depth and rhythmic vitality. Opening the evening are Ancient Infinity Orchestra, a Northern-based collective whose expansive, spiritual jazz sound channels the energy of John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders through joyful, improvisatory ensemble playing.

Tom Skinner, Southbank Centre / Queen Elizabeth Hall, 21 November

Drummer, composer and producer Tom Skinner is to present his new album Kaleidoscopic Visions at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Known as a founding member of Sons of Kemet and one-third of The Smile alongside Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, Skinner has also collaborated with artists including Grace Jones, David Byrne, Meshell Ndegeocello and Floating Points. He will perform with Caius Williams, Chelsea Carmichael, Kareem Dayes, and Robert Stillman, joined by special guests Adrian Utley (Portishead), Hinako Omori, and Yaffra. Opening is Hinako Omori, the Japanese composer celebrated for her immersive, ambient soundscapes and emotionally rich electronic textures.

Ilhan Ersahin’s Istanbul Sessions, EartH (Theatre), 23 November

Ilhan Ersahin performs on stage at the Istanbul Jazz Festival

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Led by saxophonist, composer and Nublu founder Ilhan Erşahin, Istanbul Sessions fuse the pulse of New York’s underground with the spirit of Istanbul’s vibrant music scene. Since 2008, the group has thrilled audiences from São Paulo to Paris with their cinematic blend of jazz, rock, and Middle Eastern rhythms. The lineup features Ilhan Erşahin (tenor saxophone), Alp Ersönmez (bass), Turgut Alp Bekoğlu (drums), and Izzet Kizil (percussion). Opening is Zag Erlat, founder of the celebrated YouTube channel My Analog Journal, known for curating vinyl-only mixes that spotlight rare grooves and global sounds from Turkish psych-rock to Brazilian funk.