EFG London Jazz Festival 2026: global sounds guide, tickets and free events

Every November the EFG London Jazz Festival fills the city with ten days of live music, and it is one of the best ways for newcomers to discover London’s venues and its international music communities. The 2026 edition runs from 13 to 22 November, and you’ll find fado, Malian song, South African soul and Japanese jazz alongside the big US names.

Here is our guide to the global sounds on the programme, with prices, venues and the free places to hang out.

The basics

• Dates: Friday 13 to Sunday 22 November 2026.
• Where: venues across London, including the Southbank Centre, Barbican, Roundhouse, Union Chapel, Royal Albert Hall and the city’s jazz clubs.
• Organiser: the festival is produced by Serious.
• Tickets: book through each event page on the official festival site. The prices below include fees and were checked on 22 October.

Global sounds picks

• Mariza, Sunday 15 November, Royal Festival Hall. Born in Mozambique and raised in Lisbon’s Mouraria, she’s the best known fado singer of her generation. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 7:30pm. Tickets £44 to £54.
• Fatoumata Diawara + Thanda Choir, Wednesday 18 November, Roundhouse in Chalk Farm. The Malian singer sings mainly in Bambara and her concerts are made for dancing. Doors open at 7pm, Thanda Choir is on at 7:30pm and Fatoumata Diawara at 8:30pm. Tickets £33 including fees. See the event page.
• Bongeziwe Mabandla + Zola Marcelle, Thursday 19 November, Union Chapel in Islington. The South African singer-songwriter blends folk, soul and African traditions. Doors at 6:30pm, stage time 7:30pm. Tickets £36.
• Haruki Murakami’s Jazz at Peter Cat: A Japanese Jazz Night, 21 and 22 November, Barbican. The show takes its name from the Tokyo jazz club Murakami ran from 1974 to 1981. As checked on 22 October, both Saturday performances are sold out. The Sunday 22 November show is at 2pm, with tickets £34 to £64 including fees. Murakami does not appear in person. See the event page.
• Melody Gardot, Monday 16 November, Royal Albert Hall, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Tickets £39 to £79.
• Samara Joy + Lucy-Anne Daniels, Sunday 22 November, Royal Festival Hall. Tickets £53.25 to £84.75.

The festival opens with the Opening Gala: Jazz Voice at the Royal Festival Hall on 13 November, with Guy Barker conducting the festival orchestra (tickets £48 to £100.50).

Free and low-cost options

• The Jazz Social is the festival hangout at City Point, 1 Ropemaker Street, EC2Y 9AW, near the Barbican. It’s open from 9 to 22 November, 10am until late, but closed on Monday 16 November. Expect live sets, DJs, a record shop, a bar with a 5pm to 7pm happy hour, and late opening until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
• Some Jazz Social events are free, including a Donegal Social Club DJ set with a pop-up Gaeltacht, Arfoud Brothers and Sisters, Sounds of Saint Lucia and a Japanese Jazz Day. Check each listing for times.
• The festival also runs a free and family programme, so check the festival site for the dates.

Getting there

• Royal Festival Hall: Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX. Waterloo or Embankment stations.
• Roundhouse: Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH. Chalk Farm on the Northern line.
• Union Chapel: Compton Terrace, N1 2UN. Highbury and Islington station.
• Royal Albert Hall: Kensington Gore, SW7 2AP. South Kensington station, then a short walk.
• Barbican and The Jazz Social: Moorgate or Barbican stations.

Tips for newcomers

• Pay with a contactless card or phone on the Tube and buses. Daily fares are capped, which helps on festival nights.
• Many London venues offer student, under-26 or access tickets. Ask the venue box office before you book.
• Popular shows sell out, so book early and only use the official links.

Sources

• EFG London Jazz Festival programme
• Mariza
• Fatoumata Diawara + Thanda Choir
• Bongeziwe Mabandla + Zola Marcelle
• Haruki Murakami’s Jazz at Peter Cat
• Melody Gardot, Samara Joy, Opening Gala
• The Jazz Social

Archive photo: Mariza performing at Festival Fado México in Mexico City, November 2022. Photo: Tania Victoria / Secretaría de Cultura de la Ciudad de México, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Cropped.