Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2027

About Cheltenham Jazz Festival

Launched in 1996, Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2027 returns to Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham as a jazz music festival running 28 April–3 May.

The 2026 edition marked its 30th anniversary, with the charity reporting over 41,000 tickets sold. The format is town-centre and venue-based. Free entry applies to the Festival Village in Montpellier Gardens.

Lineup and Programme

The bill runs across four named spaces: Big Top, Jazz Arena, Free Stage and DEYA Arena.

Jazz sits at the centre. The wider programme also covers blues, soul, pop, funk and rock, with ticketed headline concerts, free around-town performances, family events and school performances.

The Big Top is a reserved venue on the main Festival site and carried headline performances in a 2,000-capacity setting in 2026. DEYA Arena launched the same year as an expanded 900-standing venue.

Who Is It For?

Jazz fans and cross-genre concertgoers are the core audience.

The festival’s audience data also includes families, school groups and local audiences drawn to free around-town events and community programming. Individual events carry age guidance; children 11 and under must be accompanied by a ticket holder aged 16+, and everyone over 12 months needs a ticket unless otherwise stated.

The Venue and Site

The Festival Village sits in Montpellier Gardens, with street food traders, a Festival Bar, bike racks and an on-site Box Office.

Toilets are on the main site. Accessible toilets are listed for the Big Top, and raised viewing platforms are in place at the Big Top and Jazz Arena.

Travel

Montpellier Gardens sits in Cheltenham, with rail access via Cheltenham Spa and road routes using the M5.

• Nearest station: Cheltenham Spa Railway Station, about a 25-minute walk from Montpellier Gardens.
• Road access: M5 Junction 11 via Arle Court Park & Ride, plus access points listed at Montpellier Terrace, Rodney Road and St George’s Road.
• Parking: Arle Court Park & Ride off M5 Junction 11, Cheltenham Racecourse Park & Ride, and nearby car parks at The Regent Arcade, Cheltenham Walk, Rodney Road and St George’s Road.
• Smaller central car parks are limited.