The Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival will begin on 11 July 2025 in Scotland’s capital. Over the course of ten days, musicians will invite audiences to take part in more than 100 events that transcend genre boundaries and encourage the discovery of new styles. The 2025 edition features a Polish Jazz Focus, presenting a selection of the most interesting voices on the contemporary Polish jazz scene. Performances by Polish artists are part of the ongoing UK/Poland Season 2025.

Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival 2025 – A 10-Day Celebration of Music

From 11 to 20 July 2025, Scotland’s capital will once again resonate with the sounds of world-class jazz and blues. The Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival 2025 programme features over 100 events, offering a diverse and vibrant musical experience across multiple venues throughout the city. In addition to concerts by artists from around the globe, the festival includes a range of interactive events such as workshops, children’s classes, masterclasses, and lectures.

Established in 1978, the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival has grown into one of the largest and most highly regarded jazz and blues festivals in Europe. Its rich programme spans the full spectrum of the genre – from the roots of ragtime and traditional jazz, through modern jazz and Chicago blues, to contemporary and experimental sounds. The festival places a strong emphasis on originality, regularly presenting new commissions, premieres, and exciting collaborations with artists from both the UK and abroad. This year, as part of the UK/Poland Season 2025, the festival will feature a special Focus on Polish Jazz.

Polish Jazz in Scotland at the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival 2025

Polish jazz has a distinctive voice of its own. From post-war pioneers to contemporary artists pushing the boundaries of the genre, it combines Slavic melancholy with modernist expression. This unique sound is reflected in the work of artists featured in this year’s Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival programme.

Polish Jazz Focus is a review of the most interesting voices on the contemporary jazz scene in Poland – the programme includes: the visionary pianist Joanna Duda, the stereotype-breaking women’s quartet O.N.E., the subtle vocalist Aga Zaryan, and one of Europe’s most interesting piano trios: the Paweł Kaczmarczyk Trio. Acclaimed saxophonist Marta Wajdzik will join three Scottish musicians on stage, creating a project full of fresh musical dialogues, while Immortal Onion will join the German trio LBT. There will also be educational events – a masterclass led by the outstanding saxophonist Maciej Obara, and Piotr Schmidt will present the history of jazz in Poland.

Polish Jazz Focus 2025 Programme – Polish Artists in the Spotlight

Musical events in Edinburgh create a vibrant and accessible picture of Poland’s contemporary jazz scene, inviting listeners to discover its soul – full of emotion, energy and universal messages that resonate far beyond the country’s borders. Tickets are available at ejbf.co.uk.

• Thursday, 17 July 2025, 9:00 PM – The Famous Spiegeltent, St Andrew Square Double Bill: Immortal Onion & LBT

An evening with two exciting jazz ensembles. Immortal Onion is a trio from Poland that pushes the boundaries of contemporary jazz by fusing electronica and progressive rock. The group consists of Wojtek Warmijak (drums), Tomir Śpiołek (keyboards), and Ziemowit Klimek (double bass, bass guitar, electronica). Their music is rhythmically bold, harmonically rich, and full of unconventional approaches. They will share the stage with the German trio LBT, who perform techno music using piano, double bass, and drums — notably without the use of computers or synthesisers.

• Friday, 18 July 2025, 2:00 PM, The Jazz Bar – Maciej Obara Masterclass

The distinguished Polish alto saxophonist, composer, and ECM artist will lead a workshop for professional musicians, offering insights into his artistic practice.

• Friday, 18 July 2025, 4:00 PM, St Bride’s Centre Café, Dalry – Talk: A History of Polish Jazz

Music producer, publisher, lecturer, and renowned trumpeter Piotr Schmidt will present the history of jazz in Poland and discuss the contemporary jazz scene and its creators.

• Friday, 18 July 2025, 5:30 PM, St Bride’s Centre, Dalry – Joanna Duda Trio

Joanna Duda is a pianist and electronic sound explorer who, with her trio, has gained recognition on the European music scene. The band combines jazz with contemporary music, emphasising improvisation, humour, and musical empathy. Performers include Joanna Duda (piano), Jort Terwijn (double bass), and Michał Bryndal (drums).

• Friday, 18 July 2025, 8:30 PM, The Famous Spiegeltent, St Andrew Square – Aga Zaryan

Aga Zaryan, one of the biggest stars of European jazz, is a vocalist of international renown, with audiences from the USA to Japan. Her voice, full of lightness and sensitivity, blends classic jazz with modern interpretations. She will perform with a chamber ensemble that highlights the power of her vocals: Aga Zaryan (vocals), Piotr Wyleżoł (piano), and Robert Majewski (trumpet).

• Saturday, 19 July 2025, 6:00 PM, The Jazz Bar – Wajdzik | Bowden | Mackay | Henderson

Polish saxophonist and clarinettist Marta Wajdzik will perform alongside three Scottish musicians, presenting a repertoire rich in technical mastery and musical imagination. She will be accompanied by David Bowden (double bass), James Mackay (guitar), and Stephen Henderson (drums).

• Saturday, 19 July 2025, 9:00 PM, St Bride’s Centre, Dalry – Paweł Kaczmarczyk Trio

The outstanding Kraków pianist, Paweł Kaczmarczyk, will present music full of emotion, lyricism, and jazz energy. He will lead listeners into a world of mesmerising melodies and intense rhythm. Performing on stage: Paweł Kaczmarczyk (piano), Alan Wykpisz (double bass), Grzegorz Pałka (drums).

• Sunday, 20 July 2025, 8:30 PM, The Jazz Bar – O.N.E. Ensemble

The Polish all-female jazz quartet O.N.E. combines lyricism and liltingness with the wild, untamed energy of free jazz. Their music is created in the spirit of democratic improvisation and draws inspiration from folk and hip-hop. The line-up in Edinburgh will be: Monika Muc (saxophone), Kateryna Ziabliuk (piano), Kamila Drabek (double bass), Patrycja Wybrańczyk (drums).

UK/Poland Season 2025 – Arts That Connect

The Polish Jazz Focus at the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival is part of the wider UK/Poland Season 2025. This cultural season features over one hundred events across film, theatre, visual arts, design, literature, and music, taking place in numerous cities throughout Poland, Great Britain, and Northern Ireland. In Poland, the season was launched with the exhibition “St Ives and Elsewhere” on 5 March 2025 in Łódź, while in the UK, the “Kinoteka” film festival began on 6 March 2025 in London. The programme will run until the end of November. Its aim is to stimulate dialogue, deepen cooperation, and strengthen artistic and social ties.

Events in Poland are organised and financed by the British Council, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, and the Polish Cultural Institute. The British Council is also responsible for the programme in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The organisation of the Season in Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been supported by Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.