EFG London Jazz Festival: Jazz Voice

The spectacular opening gala of the EFG London Jazz Festival returns with a dazzling line-up of soloists, joined by EFG London Jazz Festival Orchestra.

More details for Royal Festival Hall

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For your visit

Conductor and arranger Guy Barker is joined by Peter Edwards this year as a special guest conductor for a programme of soul music, jazz-infused contemporary R&B, epic jazz songs and funk, with plenty of surprises along the way.

This year the star-studded Jazz Voice showcases the music of iconic tastemaker labels, including Motown, Concorde, Blue Note and Impulse, which introduced great artists and genres to the scene.

The glitzy line-up of soloists features Marisa Monte, Veronica Swift, Damian Lewis, Tony Momrelle, Cherise, Lucy Anne Daniels, Kyra and IAMTHELIVING.

From jazz soloist and sideman, through bandleader, composer and latterly one of the most in- demand arrangers in Europe, Guy Barker has been described as ‘that rare thing – a brilliant soloist, a born leader and a generous accompanist. He can play so your heart breaks or your head swivels’ (Anthony Minghella).

Peter Edwards is a composer, pianist and musical director whose ‘guileless, soulful music…[is] full of emphatic chording, Latin grooves and romantic, cinematic themes’ (The Guardian). He composes for stage and screen, directs the Nu Civilisation Orchestra, leads his own trio and has worked with a diverse roster of artists within a variety of disciplines.

This spectacular show is hosted by Jumoké Fashola.

Need to know

Age guidance

Under-14s must be accompanied by an adult

Reviews

4 out of 5 stars

‘A gorgeous wall of sound, heartfelt artistry and musical camaraderie’

The Arts Desk

4 out of 5 stars

‘The capital’s annual celebration of jazz music and beyond opened, as tradition dictates’

The Times

‘a sure-fire recipe for bliss’

Daily Telegraph

‘What better way to launch the country’s most lavish jazz festival than a parade of … jazz singers backed by a lavish jazz big band’

The Telegraph

For your visit

This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre

The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.

Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.

A concrete building with flags on the roof, with the London Eye and Big Ben in the background

A lively crowd cheers with raised hands, while a performer in a white hat and suit plays guitar, against red lighting.

A guitarist performing on a dark stage at the Royal Festival Hall, lit up by multiple spotlights.

Pianis Víkingur Ólafsson is seated at a grand piano while playing Bach’s Goldberg Variations on the stage of Royal Festival Hall

Organist Carol Williams plays the Royal Festival Hall organ whiich is illumiated with bold colours

The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.

Getting here

Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.

The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.

We’re cash-free

Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.

We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.

All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.

All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.

On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.

From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.

Other places to eat and drink whilst you’re here