Kelham Island’s jazz festival had nine celebrations on one day in its inaugural year, as a lineup of 97% northern artists brought live jazz across Kelham.
The festivities were enacted on Saturday 21 March within various pubs and bars all around Kelham island, the performing hours ranging from 12pm to 3am.
Yellow Arch Studios, Peddler Warehouse and Tool Maker’s Brewery took primary stage. Further celebrations across Kelham included The Harlequin and Factory floor.
One of the key performers, Tina Edwards, said: “I’m lucky enough to play at some amazing long-standing festivals around the world, but it’s not often that you get to be a part of an inaugural festival—I’m really looking forward to returning to Sheffield to perform at Kelham Jazz Festival. It’s a fantastic city.”
A range of different events took place, Tina Edwards,Ash Grimshaw,Sirrey and more showcasing a lively performance at the Peddler from 3pm all the way till 11pm.
A vast array of different genres and an exploration of the jazz sound was shown throughout the festival.
Peddler Warehouse with a space of 7,500 sq ft took on a new modern twist with DJ led jazz from artists such as Joi Lf. Similarly, Alder showcased a performance of innovative jazz beats.
In comparison, Church hosted student performers from institutions such as Leeds Conservatoire and the University of Sheffield. The Harlequin stuck to a more traditional approach of classic live jazz performances.
The performances across Kelham Island show a vivid display of grassroot talent across the uk – specifically within Sheffield with 47% of the artists being on home turf.
The managing director of Kelham Jazz festival, Danny Tenant, created the celebration in response to the lack of a jazz festival in Sheffield – an event most northern cities have.
The reaction to the festival has been overwhelmingly positive – Sheffield showed itself to be a true hub of jazz talent and appreciation.
The Kelham Jazz festival has hopes to return annually, an ambition to be a staple of Sheffield culture.
