The 2024 Rye International Jazz and Blues Festival returns from Thursday August 22 to Monday August 26.
Established as one of the best high-quality boutique music festivals in the UK, the festival attracts thousands of music fans and families from the south-east and across the UK. Celebrating its twelfth year, the festival offers an eclectic program of intimate world-class headline concerts, outdoor stage performances, and free music at fringe venues.
Tickets will be in high demand for the seven ticketed headline concerts taking place at the unique setting of St Mary’s Church, Rye, coinciding with the August bank holiday weekend.
The festival opens with the highly acclaimed and respected American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter Eric Bibb and his full band on Friday August 23 at St Mary’s Church. With a career spanning five decades, over forty albums, three Grammy nominations, a multitude of Blues Foundation awards, and countless other accolades, Bibb has secured his legacy as a legendary figure in the blues and roots genre.
Further concerts at St Mary’s Church include Tunde Baiyewu, the British singer-songwriter and former lead singer of Lighthouse Family, on Saturday August 24. Tunde will be performing with his full band, delivering a mixture of new songs and greatest hits including High, Lifted, and Lost in Space.
British female soul singer Mica Millar and her band will perform at the church on Sunday August 25. Having released her debut album Heaven Knows to critical acclaim in 2023, Mica Millar has quickly become one of the brightest new stars of British soul music. She picked up Jazz FM’s prestigious Soul Act of The Year 2022 award and was nominated for Breakthrough Act of The Year, featuring on the front covers of iconic Blues & Soul Magazine.
Closing the festival on Monday August 26 at St Mary’s is British soul singer Omar and his band. Omar is, without doubt, one of the greatest soul music talents the United Kingdom has produced in the last forty years. His distinctive voice is instantly recognizable from his classic hit There’s Nothing Like This. He has collaborated with the likes of Stevie Wonder, the late Leon Ware, Erykah Badu, Carleen Anderson, D’Angelo, Soul II Soul’s Caron Wheeler, Angie Stone, Courtney Pine, and many others.
Additional headline afternoon concerts will also take place at St Mary’s on Saturday August 25, Sunday August 25, and Monday August 26, featuring acclaimed and respected artists from the world of blues and jazz.
The festival’s dedicated outdoor performance stage, located in the heart of the town outside the Kino cinema, will host three days of exceptional live music performances, with four acts per day from 12:00 pm through to 8:00 pm between  Saturday August 24 and Monday August 26. Bring your friends and family to experience the best in jazz, blues, roots, soul, funk, Latin, and Cuban music with a stunning lineup of acclaimed and emerging musical talent from the local area and further afield.
Free and ticketed music performances will take place at local venues within the town from Thursday August 22 to Monday August 26, including The Grapevine Champagne and Jazz Bar, The Ship Inn, and many others.
Kicking off the festival’s summer series of events, the festival also present the wonderful American singer, songwriter, and saxophonist Curtis Stigers at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill on Saturday August 3. Tickets are selling fast so grab yours quickly if you want to see Curtis!
For further information and tickets, please visit www.ryejazz.com.
Image Credits: Kt bruce , Eric Bibb archives , Tunde archives , Omar archives .