Celebrate the Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival 2026 with Birmingham Museums Trust

Join us as we celebrate the 42nd year of the Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival with a series of pop-up performances across six of our sites. Experience live music in our iconic spaces and discover jazz in some of Birmingham's most beautiful locations.

The performance will take place in the Gallery at 1pm. A ticket to our jazz performance costs £3.50. If you'd like to visit the Hall as well, you can buy an admission ticket with a £3.50 discount.

SIMON SPILLETT

"Straight-ahead, high energy jazz is his line, and he does it with aplomb"
The Guardian

2026 marks a milestone anniversary for tenor saxophonist and bandleader Simon Spillett: 30 years on the UK jazz scene. Since his debut in the 1990s, he has risen to become one of Britain’s most prominent jazz figures. An instrumentalist with a powerful, straight-ahead style, drawing on the best of the jazz tradition and in particular the inspiration of an illustrious forebear, the late great Tubby Hayes, he is highly popular attraction playing sold out gigs at the best jazz clubs (Ronnie Scott’s) and at virtually every festival of consequence (including the EFG London Jazz Festival) with both his regular quartet and his star-studded big band.
As a recording artist, he had released five well-regarded albums, with his big band debut CD, Dear Tubby H. (2023), garnering a much deserved five star award in Jazzwise magazine. He’s also picked up a clutch of awards: BBC Rising Star (2007), Album of the Year (Jazz Journal, 2008), Top Tenor Saxophone (British Jazz Awards 2011) and Services to British Jazz (2016).
A charismatic performer, gifted with a dry observational wit, he’s never lost sight of the fact that jazz is entertainment as much as art and whether playing, writing, or articulately holding forth on his favourite subject – UK jazz history – he’s an infectiously passionate communicator. Performers are still to be confirmed - watch this space for more information!

Full Programme

Friday 24th July, 7:30pm
Jazz at the Museum Collection Centre, in the Transport Gallery

Wednesday 29th July, 1-3pm
Jazz at Thinktank, Level 0 

Thursday 30th July 1-3pm
Jazz at Blakesley Hall, in the Gallery

Friday 31st July, 6-9pm
Twilight Jazz at Aston Hall, inside the Hall

Saturday 1st August, 1-3pm
Jazz at Sarehole Mill, in the Courtyard

Sunday 2nd August, 1-3pm
Jazz at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, in the Tearoom