Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2023

Melbourne will emerge as the epicentre of Australia’s vibrant and buzzing jazz scene from October 20 - 29. With over 100 events and performances taking place across ten days, the festival will enliven the streets, concert halls, intimate clubs and even the Melbourne City Baths with a sweeping array of jazz genres from Australia and around the world.

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Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF) has dropped their stacked 2023 program, breaking records for its 26th festival with their biggest ever line-up of artists. The announcement is led by global music icon and ten-time GRAMMY winner Chaka Khan, as she celebrates 50 years in music at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl with Nile Rodgers & CHIC.

The 2023 program offers 11 world premieres, 10 Australian exclusive performances, 16 new Australian and International collaborations, and the largest proportion of free programming in the festival’s history.

Full program and tickets onsale now via melbournejazz.com.

Highlights:
Six hours of funk, jazz, disco and soul featuring Chaka Khan and Nile Rodgers & CHIC, supported by Kaiit and Horns of Leroy at Sidney Myer Music Bowl.

Second Line Street Party featuring New Orleans legends the Hot 8 Brass Band and locals Horns of Leroy.

Beasts of No Nation returns, paying tribute to the legends of Afrobeat and highlife.
This year, musical icon and the founding father of highlife, Ghanaian guitarist Ebo Taylor will perform in Australia for the first time alongside Melbourne’s own 17-piece band The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra. Presented in partnership with PBS.

UK instrumental trio GoGo Penguin will visit Australia for the first time, performing at The Forum for an electrifying performance that is guaranteed to thrill audiences and convert even the staunchest jazz non-believer.

Lisa Simone will grace the Hamer Hall stage to honour her mother’s legacy. Blessed with the same deep velvet voice as her inimitable mother, jazz legend Nina Simone, Lisa Simone will bring the Simone repertoire to life in a lushly orchestrated and deeply personal main-stage performance accompanied by a swingin’ all-star big band.

Special MIJF collaboration by the formidable Nduduzo Makhathini (South Africa) and distinguished ARIA winner and 2023 Queensland Australian of the Year William Barton, the world’s pre-eminent didgeridoo musician.

Making her MIJF debut is celebrated Grammy-winning vocalist and composer, Cécile McLorin Salvant, performing for one night only at Hamer Hall on the closing night of the festival.

And so much more including events at The Substation, Jazz at the Chapel, Club Sessions at Jazzlab, Jazz Westside, Close Encounters, plus master classes and industry panels.

MIJF 2023 is proudly presented by PBS.