Our hot picks for Saturday’s Brick lane Jazz Festival include: Helena Casella, Peki Momes, Christ-Stephane Boizi, Knats, Steam Down with the NYJO Horns and day 2 headliner the legendary Brian Jackson and his band.
Tickets were sold out for day 2. All dozen venues were packed. With gorgeous sunshine all day it got quite balmy inside and out. Brick Lane felt electric, with music spilling into the streets – DJs took over empty shopfronts, people danced on the pavement and road, and the whole area became one big open-air party. Inside, the vibe was chilled but buzzing.
The annual Brick Lane Jazz Festival is now in its fifth year and its 2026 edition offers more venues and more bands and artists then ever before.
Having established itself as a cornerstone of East London’s musical landscape, Brick Lane Jazz Festival has earned a reputation for spotlighting local artists and emerging trailblazers from the city’s thriving underground scenes, whilst honouring the jazz legends that have come before them.
In a bid to support the next generation of talent, the 2026 festival debuted new conference programme with a range of talks, workshops, exhibits, and exclusive performances.
They boasted an impressive roster of eclectic speakers and for the festival itself, a superb line-up of circa 120 bands and artists; growing the festival from four stages in 2022 to today’s 12 venues spanning Brick Lane and Shoreditch.
Speaking on the conference, the festival’s founder, Juliet Kennedy says, “Our aim is to empower artists and music professionals by connecting people across the industry, encouraging meaningful exchange, and helping create sustainable opportunities within London’s grassroots music ecosystem.”
Reflecting on this fifth birthday edition Juliet says, “From day one, Brick Lane Jazz Festival has been about shining a light on the incredible talent in London’s jazz scene. Five years on, Brick Lane Jazz Festival has grown into a landmark celebration of the UK’s underground music community.
“It’s been incredible to see the festival become a space where artists and audiences connect so powerfully – and this is only the beginning. Our ambition is to keep pushing boundaries and championing the next wave of talent for many years to come. We’re only just getting started!”
Since 2024, the festival has also amplified its impact with the launch of BLJF Presents – a year-round series of events showcasing the UK’s most exciting artists, record labels, and parties. After sell-out shows in Manchester, Brighton, London and more, BLJF Presents is heading to new heights with more regional stops in Bristol and Glasgow, as well as two international shows in Brussels.
All the festival venues are within a short walk from the central hub at the iconic Truman Brewery space on Brick Lane, transforming the site and surrounding area into a vibrant hive of gig-hopping excitement for three days every April.
This year, Friday headlined by anaiis & Brazil’s Grupo Cosmo, Saturday by jazz-funk legend and Gil Scott-Heron collaborator Brian Jackson, Sunday by multi-award-winning London rising star Joe Armon-Jones, who is also a member of Mercury Prize-winning band Ezra Collective.
Brian Jackson – Village Underground:
Brian Jackson‘s appearance at the Brick Lane Jazz Festival 2026 carried a rare sense of weight and history. A legend of jazz-funk, soul, and politically conscious music being activated in real time. Many Gil-Scott Heron fans present lapped it up.
His set was met with deep appreciation and collective recognition from the crowd. There was a clear sense that the audience knew they were witnessing something with real history behind it.A superb band with him and his electric piano work and flute was immaculate, as were his ‘a life lived’ vocals. Great choice of headliner for day 2.
The festival’s three-day roster spans jazz, alt-rap, neo-soul, R&B, neo-classical, electronic music and more.
Peki Momés – 93 Feet East (Live Room):
Peki Momés is a Turkish artist based in Germany who only began recording her material around 2023. Her music is closely shaped by collaboration with producer Dustin Braun.Her performance stood out for its originality and mood. Neither fully jazz nor purely electronic, her sound sits in a global, genre-blurring space
Peki’s rapid rise has come from a highly distinctive blend of grooves, funk and pop and her BLJF set felt like stepping into a hazy, late-night dance floor somewhere between Istanbul, Berlin and East London. Performing in the intimate Live Room at 93 Feet East, she brought a sound that was distinctive and groove-led but slightly off-kilter, nostalgic and experimental.
The performance moved fluidly between disco, jazz, and Anatolian-inspired grooves, with hypnotic rhythms and soft, almost dream-like vocals sitting over a tight live band.
Knats – 93 Feet East:
The Newcastle-established quintet leaned fully into their signature “Geordie jazz” sound: heavy grooves, sharp horn lines and a restless sense of energy.
Knats blend hard bop and jazz tradition with Afrobeat and funk influences, all driven by drum ‘n’ bass style rhythms and high-energy grooves. Since relocating to London, they‘ve rapidly built momentum, playing sold-out shows, supporting major acts and releasing their self-titled debut album “Knats” in 2025, on Gearbox Records, to strong critical acclaim.
Knats line-up is: Stan Woodward – bass, King David (Ike Elechi) – drums, Ferg Kilsby – trumpet, Sandro Shar – keysand Cam Rossi – tenor saxophone.
Helena Casella – El Rayo Stage@ Juju’s:
Belgian/Brazilian artist whose music blends modern jazz with Brazilian influences, neo-soul and contemporary production into a distinctive sound. She has emerged from the wider UK jazz ecosystem that this festival champions, a scene known for genre-crossing between jazz, R&B and electronic music.
Helena’s set placed her within a new wave of artists combining international roots with London‘s forward-thinking jazz culture, delivered in an intimate, multi-venue setting built for discovery, and her set offered a beautifully introspective counterpoint to the weekend‘s busier, groove-led performances.
Christ-Stéphane Boizi – Jazz re:freshed Stage @ Ninety One:
Christ-Stéphane Boizi, a trombonist who is part of a new generation of UK-based jazz musicians connected to development platforms like Tomorrow’s Warriors, which is a key platform for emerging talent.
Here at BLJF he also featured in the collaborative project BXL x LDN Interplay III, which brought together young musicians from London and Brussels to perform original compositions. This kind of project highlights his role not just as a performer, but as part of a wider, international jazz network focused on collaboration and experimentation.
Christ-Stéphane Boizi‘s appearance at the Brick Lane Jazz Festival 2026 was a snapshot of the festival‘s core mission: spotlighting emerging talent with real musical depth. Performing as part of Jazz re:freshed programme, his set leaned into modern jazz language; tight ensemble playing balanced with exploratory improvisation.
Steam Down ft. NYJO Big Band – Village Underground:
Steam Down featuring the 10-piece horn section from the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) delivered one of the weekend‘s most powerful sets at Brick Lane Jazz Festival 2026.
Taking over Village Underground, the performance expanded Steam Down‘s already powerful live format into full big-band scale, with the large NYJO horn section adding punch, and drama to their fluid mix of Afrobeat, jazz, grime, and soul, with improvisation and spontaneity at the core.
Founded in 2017 by multi-instrumentalist Ahnansé, Steam Down has become a key force on London‘s scene through its collaborative, community-driven approach. NYJO, one of the UK‘s most important jazz institutions, founded in 1965 to develop and showcase young musicians through big band performance, brought a cohort of emerging players into the mix.
Expanding Steam Down‘s signature sound into full big-band scale, NYJO‘s brass section added weight and punch to their fluid mix of Afrobeat, jazz, grime, and soul, with improvisation and spontaneity at the core. The stage was rammed.
The set captured the essence of the modern London jazz scene: collaborative, genre-blurring, and driven as much by people as by music.
Do check out our Friday’s and Sunday’s coverage…
Photos by Manja Williams
Words by Manja Williams and Steve Best
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