Swanage Jazz Festival Appeal Reaches £25,000 Target
Director thanks supporters
Swanage Jazz Festival is delighted to announce that it has successfully reached its £25,000 fundraising target, ensuring that the 2026 Festival will proceed as planned from 10–12 July.
Festival Director Paul Kelly expressed his gratitude to supporters, saying:
“We have been amazed and uplifted by the generosity of our supporters. We raised over half the £25,000 target within just one week, and donations reached £20,000 in three weeks. We have now secured the full amount by our target date and are firmly back on track.”
Appeal launched after difficult 2025
The appeal was launched following lower-than-expected sales in 2025 and the depletion of all financial reserves. With funding now secured, preparations for the 2026 programme are under way.
“We are now planning the 2026 Festival programme and expect to announce details in early February 2026,” Kelly added. “It’s wonderful to know how loved and valued the Festival is. We look forward to bringing another outstanding line-up of top-quality jazz to our iconic seaside setting in Swanage.”
Largest pure jazz festival on the South Coast
Founded in 1991, Swanage Jazz Festival is the oldest and largest pure jazz festival on the South Coast of England. Its main venues include the town’s Mowlem Theatre and the marquees on Sandpit Field overlooking Swanage Bay. Since the current team took over in 2019, they have delivered five festivals (with two postponed due to Covid), promoting 324 concerts by 300 bands featuring 1,669 musicians, and attracting audiences totalling 41,600.
The Festival also brings significant tourism to Dorset. A 2024 postcode analysis showed that 74% of attendees were visitors, some travelling from as far afield as Cardiff and Yorkshire.
Find out more about the Swanage Jazz Festival on their website.
