AFTER a two year absence due to Covid, Swanage Jazz Festival is set to return this July with a 40-band line up.

The festival runs from July 8-10 and takes place in a variety of indoor venues in the town.

Acts will include The Alan Barnes Octet, Nigel Price with his Wes Reimagined project, Art Themen’s New Directions Quintet and US Sax player Greg Abate, plus rising stars like Xhosa Cole, Alex Clarke Quartet, Mark Kavuma and Jo Harrop.

British-Bahrani Trumpeter Yazz Ahmed and her quintet will headline the Saturday night and the festival will close on the Sunday with The Simon Spillett Big Band playing Tubby Hayes’ charts.

The festival will also feature British Jazz legends Henry Lowther with his Still Waters band, Trevor Watts’ Eternal Triangle and Mike and Kate Westbrook performing in Kate’s band Granite.

Tickets are £98 for a weekend stroller and £65 for a day stroller ticket. The festival will be staging its traditional jazz train and dance for a £17 supplementary ticket and there is a £10 supplementary charge for The Simon Spillett Big Band.

All tickets are available from the Festival’s website swanagejazzfestival.co.uk

The Festival will also be running a free Fringe Festival featuring local bands at several venues including the Bandstand and the Grand Hotel plus Friday night Jazz Films, free to Stroller ticket holders.

Some further acts are yet to be booked and further announcements will be made in due course.