"World class" line-up for iconic Wangaratta festival

The stage is set for the 36th Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues this weekend, with a jam-packed program featuring more than 20 acts to cater for newcomers and festival loyalists. Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues president Andrew Nunn said the weekend is absolutely stacked, with a “world class” line-up ahead of festivalgoers. “The Bamboos and Horns of Leroy in particular are a highlight for me,” he said. “The blues lovers will love the Sunday, I have seen them a few times and always leave those shows feeling better about the world. “The Tiny Jazz Series is always a great time as well, artistic director Serge Carnovale has done a great job of programming that room, and the whole festival, that I love poking around in there and seeing what magic he has come up with. “Yunior Terry is of particular interest to me in there. “Monstress have been fun to deal with, and I’m intrigued what they bring to the main stage. “I’m also looking forward to showcasing some of the region’s food and beverage offerings in the main stage precinct, [including] Bridge Road Brewery, Pizzini Wines." The Main Stage is set to present a dynamic mix of jazz, blues and soul featuring Terry’s Pocket, Fiona Boyes & The Fortune Tellers, Monstress and Horns of Leroy featuring THNDO, The Bamboos featuring Kylie Auldist, ISEULA New Orleans Special, Checkerboard Lounge and Frank Sultana Blues Band, before concluding with a headline performance on Sunday from Cookin’ on 3 Burners featuring Stella Angelico. The National Jazz Awards will be held alongside the festival, this year searching for Australia’s best young drummer. Andrew said the biggest change this year is that they have gone back to a festival pass that covers the Main Stage, Tiny Jazz Church and St Patrick’s Hall meaning people have the opportunity to pop in and out of over 20 gigs across the weekend. “We have around 20 world class bands on offer in this ticket which equates to close to $8 a show or something similar,” he said. “We’ve put more effort into theming both the church and St Pats so the experience of these smaller venues will be terrific.” Free events will give newcomers a chance to sample the weekend, including the Wangaratta High School Stage Band in Ovens Street from 11am on Saturday, the Australian Army Band at St Patrick’s Hall from 4pm, and the traditional Sunday morning jazz mass. Andrew said traditionally the biggest stage with the best production has been the free offering for the festival, but organisers have made the decision to switch that around a bit this year. “This has allowed us to put some bigger, well-known bands on the big stage to show off Trav’s great production work and the Cathedral precinct even more,” he said. “We’ve chosen to focus our energy on the three core stages of the festival this year and have allowed some key time slots for other organisations to come in and provide some entertainment too.” Beyond the main festival precinct, affiliated venues around Wangaratta will host further performances and events. Other offerings include shows at The Vine on Friday and Sunday, The Railyard on Saturday night and Old Faithfulls on Sunday, plus the High School Band between Intermezzo and the Art Gallery late Saturday morning. Saturday also features the Kickass Record Fair at Wangaratta Club and Oxley Bush Market, followed by three acts at Milawa Monday and Tuesday’s race meeting at the Turf Club. Kids under 18 years are free when attending the festival with a pass-holding adult, and the Main Stage at the Cathedral Grounds will feature a range of family-friendly activities to engage the youngest audiences, including facepainting, balloon artists and lawn games. “We think it is extremely good value for money and there is an appropriate mix of free things available too,” Andrew said. “It’s going to look a bit different, but there are lots of opportunities for other organisations to partner with us and piggy back off the crowd and help build this up town wide festival weekend. “We encourage people to grab a ticket and come along and experience what we are up to. “There can be some apprehension around jazz music sometimes, but our program is really palatable and the music experience of the festival of the past two years has been great, even for those that are not serious jazz listeners. “Buying tickets to these events has a flow-on effect in town where other people who are thinking of putting on shows have more confidence to go ahead with things too. “We are working really hard to encourage venues and artists to put on more events through the year to help rebuild some of that fun cultural stuff what went missing a bit through Covid.” With a sold-out James Morrison Meets the Wangaratta Symphony Orchestra at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Conventions Centre, organisers have sold around 1500 tickets festival wide, with more than half of these people coming from out of town. Andrew said a lot of the accommodation is already booked out and they expect an uptick in customers for the cafes and restaurants in town. “It’s been a tough week in town, and the festival has come at a good time for everyone to come together,” he said. Andrew extended a thank you to everyone who has contributed and helped out. “The volunteer committee have worked really hard over the past few years to re-consolidate the festival,” he said. “Without the support of sponsors, volunteers, venues and contractors the festival would have been dead and I am really grateful we are able to go again and put on a great event. “Tickets are selling fast now, come and have some fun.” To view the full program or to purchase tickets, visit www.wangjazzblues.com.au.

"World class" line-up for iconic Wangaratta festival

Wangaratta Chronicle, Wednesday, 28 October, 2026

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