A BRAND new music festival has been announced for Scotland, and it is set to make its debut next summer.
The team behind the country's leading independent festival, Kelburn Garden Party, has proudly unveiled plans for the Kelburn Jazz Weekend.
According to the organisers, the event "reimagines" what a jazz festival can be, blending together live performances, DJ sets, visual art, culinary experiences and glamping against the backdrop of the Kelburn Estate near Largs.
Discussing the event, Chris Knight, programme director at Kelburn Arts, said: “Since our earliest days, Kelburn has proudly showcased underground and emerging Scottish and international music outside of the mainstream."
He added that Jazz is the "original" DIY music and that it was founded on the principles of freedom of expression, collaboration and exploration.
The programme director said: "Unless you have been on Mars, you will have noticed the explosion of the UK jazz scene over the past decade or so, culminating in Ezra Collective winning the Mercury Prize in 2025."
When is the Kelburn Jazz Weekend taking place?
The Kelburn Jazz Weekend in North Ayrshire will take place on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3, 2026.
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See all the artists announced so far for the Kelburn Jazz Weekend in Scotland
Across its two stages and pop-up locations, the festival will welcome some of the "most exciting" names from Scotland and beyond.
The first batch of artists includes:
- Gilles Peterson, the world-renowned tastemaker, broadcaster and DJ, will be bringing his "unrivalled" record collection and global perspective on jazz to the event.
- Mercury Prize-nominated corto.alto, led by trombonist Liam Shortall, will perform their only Scottish tour date here.
- Rebecca Vasmant, one of Scotland’s most celebrated artists and curators, will continue her journey of bringing together jazz and electronic music.
- Other stars like Kai Reesu, Slow Karma, and Becca Sloan will also appear.
The Kelburn Jazz Weekend will take place on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3, 2026.
