Jazz /

World of Jazz at ONE destination

Dates for 2009 are 28th - 31st May..... put it in your diary.

Thousands of people enjoyed four days of festival fun at the Southport International Jazz Festival.

Music filled the town from Thursday, May 29 to Sunday, June 1, as international artists and up-coming performers took to stages at venues across the resort. The annual event always attracts crowds and this year was no exception with plenty of people enjoying the tunes music and the atmosphere.

Guitar legends John Williams and John Etheridge got the festival off to an excellent start with a sell-out gig at Southport Arts Centre on Thursday, with Brazilian singer-songwriter Monica Vasconcelos performing a fabulous concert at the same venue on Friday.

Crowds packed into the Arts Centre on Saturday for an evening of dancing with the Bacalao Salsa Dance Party, another sellout, while people flocked to Southport Theatre and Convention Centre to see headline act Victoria Hart on Sunday.

Nia Valerio, festival organiser, said: "This year's festival was fantastic. So many people came for the entire four days and enjoyed the such a varied programme of jazz performances we programmed around the town. The staggered start times of events worked really well this year for those who wanted to do the Jazz Trail, seeing saw people start on the jazz trail in the morning armed with their Festival Brochures and take in performances at coffee bars, restaurants and cafes, as well as going along to the headline theatre gigs.

People really enjoyed themselves at the festival and we were delighted with how the four days went. Everyone had a great time and we even had visitors from all over the UK, including Clitheroe, Truro and Edinburgh, along with international visitors from France and Canada!"

The full Jazz Festival programme is still available to download here.

Stunning Brazilian chanteuse, Monica Vasconcelos - who appeared at the Festival on Friday 30th May did an interviewfor the culture pages of Guardian online.

Victoria Hart, 'The jazz singing waitress' who wowed George Clooney, Brad Pitt and other A-list stars on board a yacht in Cannes in May 2007 headlined the 2008 Festival at the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre.

The Festival provides great quality music throughout the town and prides itself on making the experience accessible to everyone - The Fringe provides the perfect opportunity for everyone to experience some great music, EIGHTY PERCENT of the concerts are FREE.

With people visiting from as far away as Canada, we think the word is out that there is Just ONE Destination - Southport International Jazz Festival...........