There are very few festivals in London that feel as carefully curated as Jazz Cafe Festival. Across jazz, soul, hip hop, R&B and electronic music, the lineup is consistently adventurous without feeling inaccessible, balancing established names with artists who deserve much bigger audiences. It was one of my most anticipated festivals of the summer, and for the most part, it absolutely delivered.
Beyond the lineup, what immediately stood out was the atmosphere. There was a genuine sense of community across the site, with people of all ages and backgrounds moving between stages, discovering new artists and sharing recommendations. It also felt refreshing to be at a festival whose audience reflected the music it was celebrating. Seeing so many people from global majority communities in the crowd created an atmosphere that felt welcoming, joyful and authentic, adding another layer to a festival built around genres with deep Black and diasporic roots.
What I was not prepared for was the dust.
Within minutes of arriving at Burgess Park, it genuinely felt like I had wandered onto the set of Dune: Part Three. Every gust of wind sent enormous clouds of dust sweeping across the site, filling the air, getting into eyes and lungs, and making it difficult to focus on the music at times. It was relentless. With so many festivals taking place in Burgess Park throughout the summer, and with weeks of hot, dry weather leading up to the event, it felt surprising that more had not been done to minimise the conditions. It became one of the defining features of the day, and unfortunately not in a good way.
Thankfully, the music quickly reminded everyone why they were there.
Opening the day with Mansur Brown on the Parkway Main Stage was an easy way to settle in. Brown’s guitar playing remains astonishing to watch, effortlessly moving between jazz, rock and electronic influences with a technical precision that never loses its sense of feeling. His performance was understated but magnetic, allowing the musicianship to speak for itself.
After wandering between the festival’s four stages, it quickly became clear that the Plant Room was the place to be. The covered stage offered some much needed relief from the relentless dust, but it also had the strongest atmosphere and easily the best sound on site. Sets felt more intimate despite the crowds, and audiences seemed fully immersed from beginning to end.
That became especially apparent during RUBII‘s performance. Confident, charismatic and vocally excellent, she commanded the room with ease and felt perfectly suited to the space. It was one of those sets that reminds you why festivals are often at their best when you stumble across artists you leave wanting to hear much more from.
If there was one standout performance of the day, though, it belonged to Kofi Stone.
His set was warm, honest and completely captivating. Every lyric landed with intention, while the audience hung onto every word before erupting into choruses together. Stone’s crowd work was exceptional, striking the perfect balance between humour, sincerity and audience participation. He had people completely engaged from start to finish, and it was impossible not to notice countless audience members reaching for their phones afterwards to Shazam tracks or look him up on Spotify. There is something deeply satisfying about watching an artist win over an audience in real time, and Kofi Stone did exactly that. It was the kind of festival set that turns casual listeners into lifelong fans.
Back on the main stage, both Jaz Karis and Greentea Peng delivered excellent performances. Jaz Karis brought effortless confidence and soulful vocals, while Greentea Peng’s unmistakable blend of psychedelic soul, dub and jazz translated beautifully live. The performances themselves were never in doubt, but the Parkway Main Stage never quite reached the sonic quality that the artists deserved. Compared with the clarity and intimacy of the Plant Room, the acoustics often felt a little flat, making it harder to become fully immersed despite the strength of the performances.
One of the biggest surprises of the day came from DJ Habibeats, whose set became one long communal celebration. Drawing primarily on Arabic club sounds while weaving in everything from Punjabi tracks to edits of global pop and bass-heavy electronic music, every transition somehow felt both unexpected and completely natural. He kept the crowd dancing for well over an hour without losing momentum. It was impossible not to get swept up in the energy as strangers danced together, singing along and cheering at every switch in genre. It was one of the most joyful moments of the festival.
Earlier in the day, Anish Kumar also delivered an impressive set, bringing vibrant electronic textures that perfectly matched the festival’s eclectic programming.
The only programming decision that felt frustrating came right at the end of the evening. Having Smino and Ari Lennox perform simultaneously meant audiences were forced to choose between two of the festival’s biggest draws. We split our time between both, beginning with Ari Lennox before heading across to Smino’s electric Plant Room set, where he even brought out Venna for a surprise appearance, before returning to catch Ari Lennox close the night. Both performances were fantastic, but neither deserved to be experienced in fragments. With a lineup this strong, clashes are inevitable, but this one felt particularly unfortunate.
That, perhaps, is the biggest compliment you can pay Jazz Cafe Festival. Even with difficult choices, challenging conditions and an overwhelming amount of dust, the music consistently won.
Jazz Cafe Festival continues to carve out its own identity within London’s crowded festival calendar by trusting its curation and championing artists who push genres forward rather than sit neatly inside them. Better preparation for the site conditions and a little more consideration around scheduling would have elevated the experience even further. But when a festival leaves you discovering new favourite artists, dancing with strangers and feeling part of a genuinely welcoming community, it is clearly doing something right. Jazz Cafe Festival proves that thoughtful curation is about far more than booking great artists. It is about creating a space where people feel connected through the music.
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Words: Tara Choudhary
Photographer: Sandra Nagel