City of Derry Jazz & Big Band Festival is back for the 16th year, and is bigger and better than ever. The annual celebration of jazz and big bands will again feature artists from all over the world and welcome more than 40,000 revellers over the bank holiday weekend.
Among the popular acts returning to the festival this year are the Red Stripe Band, the Jive Aces, Cat Scratch Fever and many more.
Date: 30th April 2017, 1st May
Venue: Millennium Forum
Time: 8pm
Admission: £27.50 - £35
The extremely talented Irish musician, producer and singer/songwriter Imelda May this year takes the headline spot at the City of Derry Jazz & Big Band Festival as she launches her new music, which many will have seen when she performed her lead track Black Tears at the Jools Holland ‘Hootenanny’ special over New Year. May will feature as the headline act at the five day festival on Sunday 30th April and Monday 1st May at The Millennium Forum. The festival is an annual celebration of jazz and big bands featuring artists from all over the world and welcoming more than 40,000 revellers over the bank holiday weekend.
As she prepares to bring her new album (described as a ‘new direction for May’) to the festival in late April, Imelda, when asked what her audience should expect, said, ‘This is me. I always loved the Fifties rockabilly style but there was a point where I felt I was almost dressing up as Imelda May. It was as if I was getting into character for a gig. And I didn’t want to do that anymore. Life changed. I love the albums I made before. They were honest to the person I was. But that was then … and this is now.’
