Jazz Promotion Network (JPN) at jazzahead! 2026

JPN is delighted to announce that, for the first time ever, all four nations of the UK, together with the Republic of Ireland, will be represented at the jazzahead! expo in Bremen Germany (22-25 April) this year – as part of the UK/Ireland Village.

jazzahead!  is the jazz industry’s biggest international annual gathering.  In convening meetings with funders and stakeholders at jazzahead! 2025 and in the JPN conference in Cardiff, in pursuit of JPN’s aim of cohesive representation, JPN has played its part in bringing together this new UK/Ireland collaboration.

The UK/Ireland Village is an umbrella stand in which each country will represent themselves (and host their own delegation) with an added communal social meeting area.

JPN has been engaged by Arts Council England (ACE) to organise the England stand in the Village and to support English delegates, particularly supporting first time delegates with ACE-funded bursaries.

In other aspects of the collaboration JPN is liaising with the other organising partners: JPN member Improvised Music Company on behalf of Culture Ireland and the arts councils of Ireland and of Northern Ireland; Ty Cerdd on behalf of the Arts Council of Wales and Wales Arts International; and Creative Scotland, who have a long track record as jazzahead! exhibitors.  Each partner is supporting its own delegates.

English delegates at jazzahead! 2026 will include 6 bursary recipients: two Newcastle artists – bandleader/composer Hannabiell Sanders and Rivkala (Bex Tuck), Birmingham musician/promoters David Bustos and Charlie Humphrey-Lewis of Digbeth Jazz and Londoners saxophonist/bandleader Allexa Nava and bandleader/educator Axel Kaner-Lidstrőm.

Other delegates will include Nanette Brimble of Bradford’s YardFest, JPN Board members Barry Holloway, Pauline Black and the stand co-ordinator Nod Knowles.

Among performers chosen by jazzahead!’s international jury for the daytime showcases are bands led by English artists Laura Jurd and Jasmine Myra.

jazzahead’s UK Club Night, organised by music manager Peter Conway, jazzahead’s UK ambassador Nick Brown and Jazzwise magazine editor Mike Flynn will feature England’s Alex Hitchcock Quartet and Emma Rawicz’s INKYRA and Scotland’s Azamiah, ending with a jam session led by Alex Wilson.

Registrations for jazzahead! continue to be possible until 21 April and if delegates register as affiliated to any of the national stands they receive a 20% discount.  Info on how to register and access the discount can be found here.