TEN DAYS, 500+ ARTISTS, ENDLESS GROOVE: MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES HUGE PROGRAM
Jazz at the Bowl returns in 2025
The Melbourne International Jazz Festival is set to deliver its boldest and most wide-reaching program yet. Running from 17–26 October, the 2025 edition brings together over 500 artists from 18 countries, presenting 150+ performances across 40 venues — a citywide takeover of live music, rhythm, and creative energy.
The festival launches with a bang thanks to Night Crawl, a one-night-only, free-flowing takeover of Melbourne’s CBD in collaboration with Fed Square. Expect DJ icon Natasha Diggs (US), cinematic-soul favourites Surprise Chef, vocalist Ella Thompson, UK multi-instrumentalist Tenderlonious with Melbourne bass wizard Horatio Luna, plus a host of local innovators spanning jazz, hip hop, Afrobeat, electronic and neo-soul.
This year’s international roll call is staggering: Harry Connick Jr leads Jazz at the Bowl, alongside superstar baritone Gregory Porter, five-time GRAMMY-winning vocalist Samara Joy, fearless Japanese pianist Hiromi with PUBLIQuartet, French-Lebanese trumpet virtuoso Ibrahim Maalouf, and legendary jazz masters Gary Bartz, Bill Frisell and Danilo Pérez.
“We’re talking 500+ artists, 18 Australian premieres, five major new commissions, and more than a third of the program free to attend. Festivals often call it their biggest year — but in 2025, it’s fact,” says Michael Tortoni, MIJF Artistic Director. “This program captures the whole spectrum of jazz, from tradition to the cutting edge. Whether you’re a diehard fan or a first-timer, Melbourne will be swinging this October.”
SIGNATURE EVENTS
Night Crawl
Friday 17 October marks the festival opener — Night Crawl, a city-spanning live music adventure. Across eleven venues and featuring 100+ artists, it’s a free, choose-your-own sonic journey through rooftops, laneways, basements and bars.
Fed Square hosts the heart of the action with a triple bill:
- Tenderlonious teaming up with Horatio Luna and On-Ly for a cross-continental collaboration
- Surprise Chef, fresh off the release of Superb
- Natasha Diggs, world-renowned for her genre-bending, all-vinyl sets and high-profile collaborations with Quincy Jones, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill and Stevie Wonder
Meanwhile, Melbourne’s CBD bursts with eclectic soundscapes: Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 & Tim Shiel weaving cinematic magic, Ausecuma Beats stirring Afro-Cuban rhythms, Ella Thompson’s soulful touch, Alexander Flood’s nu-jazz fusion, and the raw energy of Grievous Bodily Calm. From deep house voyages courtesy of Aka Zeb, to brass-driven party vibes from Horns of Leroy, the night delivers fresh discoveries at every turn.
Venues include Whitehart Bar, Wax Music Lounge, Section 8, Arbory Afloat, Workshop, Rooftop Bar, The Toff, Fifty-Five Bar, Aster and Melbourne Music Room, creating a map of Melbourne’s live music culture at its most exciting.
Jazz at the Bowl
The grand finale weekend belongs to Jazz at the Bowl, headlined by Harry Connick Jr at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.
A true entertainment polymath, Connick’s career spans 30 million album sales, Broadway, Hollywood, TV, and countless sell-out tours. Backed by his full band, he’ll cover the sweep of his career — jazz standards, originals, and the New Orleans sound he’s carried proudly around the world.
Sharing the stage will be the endlessly inventive Bill Frisell, one of jazz’s most distinctive guitarists, plus local treasure Emma Donovan, who debuts her new soul celebration Take Me to the River, honouring the legacies of Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Al Green and Otis Redding.
INTERNATIONAL HEADLINERS
Over ten days, MIJF 2025 will host an unmatched lineup of jazz heavyweights and modern trailblazers:
- Gregory Porter (24 Oct, Hamer Hall) – The baritone voice that has redefined modern jazz, balancing Nat King Cole’s timeless elegance with soul and gospel fire.
- Samara Joy (26 Oct, Hamer Hall) – At just 25, she’s already won five GRAMMYs. With echoes of Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, Joy is proof that classic jazz singing has a vibrant future.
- Hiromi with PUBLIQuartet (26 Oct, Hamer Hall) – Virtuosic, fearless, genre-defying, Hiromi’s piano work pushes beyond boundaries.
- Melanie Charles & WhoAllGonBeThere (25 Oct, Max Watts) – A New York double bill of soul, hip hop, jazz and resistance, featuring Marcus Strickland and Ben Williams.
- Danilo Pérez (18 Oct, Melbourne Recital Centre) – UNESCO Artist for Peace, pianist, composer and visionary with a career that stretches from Dizzy Gillespie to Wayne Shorter.
- Bill Frisell Residency (24–26 Oct, The JazzLab) – Six intimate shows from the Blue Note legend, joined by longtime collaborators Thomas Morgan and Rudy Royston.
- LETTUCE (24 Oct, 170 Russell) – US funk powerhouse making their Australian debut with an infectious, high-energy set.
- Ibrahim Maalouf (23 Oct, 170 Russell) – Trumpet virtuoso blending Arabic melody, jazz improv and pop sensibility, finally making his Australian debut.
COMMISSIONS & COLLABORATIONS
Innovation is at MIJF’s core, and 2025 showcases a suite of daring new works and collaborations:
- Gary Bartz & Barney McAll – The Eternal Tenure of Sound (170 Russell) – A master of six decades, Bartz joins forces with Australian piano visionary McAll.
- Linda May Han Oh – Invisible Threads (25 Oct, Recital Centre) – A multimedia work blending live music, visuals and storytelling, featuring Pamela Z and Keith Henry Brown.
- The Great Reset (Chapel off Chapel) – Cross-cultural collaboration between Sunny Kim, Joanna Duda and Helen Svoboda.
- Adam Manning – First Rhythms – Multidisciplinary work reimagining clapsticks as vessels of cultural memory, co-commissioned with Australian Art Orchestra.
- SOLUNE (Selene Messinis) – Mad Vantage – A bold new instrumental project fusing nu-jazz, prog-metal and Middle Eastern modes.
- Before Nightfall at The Quad Club – Melbourne’s Speak Percussion meets Tokyo’s Banksia Trio in a one-day collaboration.
- Tenderlonious – Take Two (The JazzLab) – A reimagining of Coltrane’s Africa/Brass, following a deep listening of the original.
- Tamil Rogeon Orchestra – A 16-piece ensemble blending cosmic jazz, Brazilian choro, orchestral soul and house.
JAZZ AT THE CHAPEL
Chapel Off Chapel transforms into a festival hub for boundary-pushing performances:
- Earshift Music Showcase (21–22 Oct) – James Bowers, Visions of Nar, Hilary Geddes, Raki (Daniel Wilfred, Paul Grabowsky, Peter Knight) and Jeremy Rose’s Infinity II.
- Jeremy Monteiro with JASSO – Singapore’s “King of Swing” leads a 16-piece big band.
- Rita Marcotulli – The Italian piano master makes her long-awaited Australian debut.
- Gary Bartz in Conversation – An intimate Jazz Legends Series event with broadcaster Eric Ajaye and Barney McAll.
CLUB SESSIONS
The JazzLab remains the late-night epicentre:
- Goldsmith Baynes – Aotearoa pioneers performing in te reo Māori.
- Banksia Trio (Japan) – Melbourne debut from a technically dazzling group.
- lvdf – A cross-continental supergroup mixing jazz with electronic, indie and classical influences.
- Celebrating Allan Browne (18 Oct) – Honouring the late drummer and mentor, featuring members of his quintet.
- Speedball – High-octane jazz quintet returning after eight years.
- Fem Belling – The Hormesis Project – A string-and-voice exploration of resilience and groove.
- Liv Andrea Hauge Trio – Norwegian pianist debuts with Australian rhythm section.
- Phil Turcio – The Outernet – Progressive jazz-rock at cinematic scale.
- Open Thread – A Canadian-Australian improvising collective.
- Late Night Jams – The Rookies leading free-form collaborations into the early hours.
FREE & FAMILY EVENTS
With over a third of the program free, MIJF continues its commitment to accessibility and community:
- Big Band Saturday (18 Oct, Fed Square) – Swing-era classics with the Air Force Big Band, MYJO and Melbourne Conservatorium Big Band.
- Jazz on Film Series – Screenings at ACMI, Fed Square and Palace Rooftop, including We Want the Funk, The Glenn Miller Story, Mo’ Better Blues, and Sun Ra: Do the Impossible.
- Inside Out: Jump, Jive, Jazz at ArtPlay – Interactive workshops for kids to create, move and improvise with live jazz.
- Jazz Westside (19 Oct) – A suburban celebration across Moonee Ponds, Ascot Vale and Essendon.
- Footscray Sunday Sessions (26 Oct) – A walking trail of local venues and eclectic acts.
- Italian Festa Jazz Club (18–19 Oct, Royal Exhibition Building) – Featuring Rita Marcotulli, Paul Grabowsky, Gianni Marinucci and more.
- Grazeland Takeover (17–18 Oct) – Free music at Spotswood’s food precinct, from trad jazz to Afro-Melbourne fusion.
FESTIVAL DETAILS
The Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2025 runs 17–26 October at venues across the city.
Full program and tickets: melbournejazz.com