JAZZ RE:FEST 2026 PREMIERES AT ICONIC KOKO

London’s long-running celebration of adventurous, boundary-pushing jazz enters a new chapter at KOKO Camden and remains FREE TO ATTEND

JAZZ RE:FEST, the flagship annual event of Jazz re:freshed, dedicated to championing the UK’s most exciting emerging and underexposed jazz talent alongside established artists, has announced the full line-up for its 13th edition, taking place at London’s iconic KOKO Camden on Sunday 13 September 2026.

Featuring Theon Cross & Friends, SULA, Marla Kether,Alex Cosmo Blake and LOX, JAZZ RE:FEST 2026 brings together some of the most compelling voices shaping the UK’s contemporary jazz landscape from genre-fluid composition and explosive live musicianship to the meeting points between jazz, grime, dub, hip-hop, electronic music and beyond.

And, true to its founding ethos, JAZZ RE:FEST 2026 is FREE TO ATTEND.

This year’s festival marks a significant new chapter for JAZZ RE:FEST as it moves from its long-established home on London’s Southbank to KOKO, one of the capital’s most celebrated and historic live music venues. For a festival built on giving artists the stage they deserve, the move represents more than simply a change of address. It is an opportunity to bring the JAZZ RE:FEST ethos into a new environment, while continuing its long-standing mission: to put exceptional musicians in front of audiences who may not yet know their names and giving those audiences the chance to discover their next favourite artist.

KOKO’s rich history as a home for boundary-pushing live music makes it a fitting setting for this next chapter. The venue has played host to generations of influential artists and remains one of London’s most distinctive spaces for live performance. For JAZZ RE:FEST, its latest incarnation offers an exciting new backdrop for the festival’s commitment to musical discovery.

JAZZ RE:FEST began 13 years ago with a simple idea: to create a platform for artists and bands that deserved to be heard. What started as a small festival showcasing musicians from the scene around it grew into a respected fixture in the UK jazz calendar. By 2015, the festival had moved to the Southbank and, in keeping with the wider philosophy of Jazz re:freshed, became free to attend — removing financial barriers and encouraging audiences to take a chance on artists they might not otherwise have encountered.

That principle remains central to JAZZ RE:FEST today.

Over the years, the festival’s stages have featured musicians who were, at the time, still relatively unknown to wider audiences and who have since become significant names within the UK and international music scenes. Our philosophy is straightforward: believe in the artists, give them a platform, remove the barriers to discovering them, and trust audiences to find something extraordinary.

The move to KOKO comes after a challenging year for the festival, we had hoped to return to the Southbank for this year’s edition. Instead, the opportunity to stage JAZZ RE:FEST at the world-renowned Camden venue offered an unexpected new direction. The change has inevitably brought challenges, including a shorter lead-in period, a more focused line-up and an 8+ age policy. But rather than pause the festival, Jazz re:freshed have chosen to mark 2026 with what matters most: a celebration of great live music and the artists they believe audiences need to hear.

The festival may look different this year, but its core purpose remains firmly intact.

JAZZ RE:FEST provides a platform for emerging and underexposed musicians from across the country to share a major stage with more established acts. It creates a space where audiences of all backgrounds can experience adventurous, contemporary live jazz without the cost of a ticket standing between them and the music. For 13 years, JAZZ RE:FEST has operated on the belief that the next important artist might not yet be a household name. This is where you come to discover them. And this September, that discovery happens at KOKO. Presented in association with KOKO Foundation.

JAZZ RE:FEST 2026

Sunday 13 September 2026 KOKO, 1A Camden High Street, London NW1 7JE

FREE ENTRY: Register your interest to attend: https://link.dice.fm/JAZZREFEST2026

Age policy: 8 years +. Children must be accompanied by an adult. 

For more info check the KOKO website: https://www.koko.co.uk/events/jazz-refreshed