Join manchester jazz festival (mjf), in collaboration with Factory International, for a very special 30th anniversary exhibition taking a closer look into the history of Manchester’s longest running music festival. The exhibition will feature archival photos, footage, memorabilia and more, spanning mjf’s growth and achievements.
In 1995, a group of around 40 of Manchester’s jazz musicians and activists gathered at the old office of the Musicians’ Union in Canal Street. Filled with enthusiasm and a desire to establish a thriving jazz scene, they questioned why a city of the scale of Manchester couldn’t have a festival, or club dedicated solely to jazz? Could they be the ones to make it happen?…
From this the manchester jazz festival was born: with the involvement of mjf’s current artistic director, Steve Mead, a one day festival took place outside of Duke’s 92 Castlefield, August 1996.
It’s fair to say that from this day in August, the festival has grown considerably into the 10-day event we know mjf to be. A festival working across multiple venues in Manchester and hosting a range of genre-pushing, contemporary, homegrown and international artists. But above all, mjf has stayed true to its ethos: a place for artists to find themselves, and for audiences to lose themselves.
View our timeline & discover mjf’s long & rich history!
Don’t miss our personalised exhibition walkthrough with mjf Artistic Director and co-founder Steve Mead, on Sunday 25th May, taking place 2pm – 2.30 and 4.30 – 5pm. Free with no booking required. More details can be found here.