Wellington Jazz Festival 2020

Overview

The capital's annual celebration of jazz music is set to return this month with more than 120 free and ticketed gigs taking place over just five days.

This year's lineup is bursting with fresh new music from around the country, including the likes of Taite Music Prize-winning project Avantdale Bowling Club, as well as commissions from four talented Kiwi composers premiering new jazz works.

Elsewhere, there's a raucous mix of Tarantino tunes, 18-piece bands playing classic Basie and Sinatra hits, jazz-age cinema with live improvised accompaniment, and a tribute gig delivering the best-loved works of Amy Winehouse. There really is something for everyone — as long as you can shake your jazz hands at it.

Image: Vanessa Rushton.