From Festival Chair: Mar Knox

Hello fellow jazz lovers! Here we find ourselves again, at the biggest weekend of jazz in Perth. I know you are going to absolutely love the program that has been put together for you this year. We are bigger and better than ever, which is proof positive that everyone loves to enjoy live music during a pandemic!

Planning a festival in these times remains a real challenge, but if you are reading this then I am hopeful it means that we have dodged another bullet and find ourselves in the fortunate position of being able to get out and enjoy the best jazz that Perth has to offer. We have many new performance spaces in our Perth program, more free community focused events and our first ever regional expansion into the City of Busselton on the Saturday following the Perth weekend. Head down and make a weekend of it.

I am so thrilled to also be able to share what is an absolute game changer for our organisation (drum roll please….). PIJF was awarded a RISE (Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand) grant from the Commonwealth government of $600,000 over the next two years. This will enable us to employ staff, expand our regional program and continue to focus on supporting our artists and entertainment / production crew through fair wages and more performance opportunities throughout the year. We are so grateful for this opportunity.

We love all our Festival partners, friends, supporters, and volunteers. We couldn’t do it without you! Thank you all. And a very special thank you to the most amazing board I have had the pleasure of working with. You have made it all worthwhile, team.

If you haven’t already become a Jazz Messenger, be sure to swing onto our newly rebranded website (perthjazzfest.com) and take out a membership, which is packed with great offerings, and help us spread the word.

Enjoy the jazz. Stay safe. Come Play

Mar Knox
Festival Chair


From Artistic Director: Dr. Mace Francis

It is with great pleasure and, once again, sheer delight that we present the 2021 Perth International Jazz Festival. We all thought 2021 was going to be an easier year to plan, but despite some challenges, we have been able to put together an absolute jam-packed weekend of jazz and fun for you. We wish our musician friends from all over the world the very best and we hope to invite you to Come Play in Perth real soon.

2021 has been a game-changing year for the Festival with funding from a successful RISE grant, which has enabled us to expand the Perth program and our regional reach into the south west of WA. We have added new venues to the Perth program including the WA Museum, Cathedral Square, Forrest Place and a secret rooftop bar in the CBD (no, it is not the Art Gallery of WA).

We are happy to open the Festival weekend again at the State Theatre Centre Courtyard with a free event showcasing an exciting live interactive international performance where you can use your phone to play with the band in real-time. The Northbridge Piazza will be transformed into the hippest outdoor bar in town featuring some of the coolest jazz/funk/hip hop bands, and The Rechabite will again be our Festival hub and a place where you can fill your evenings with the very best jazz this state has to offer!

There is so much music to enjoy this weekend. Come Play and take a risk with us to see as much music as you can, experience new delights, reacquaint yourself with old favourites and just have the best time! This festival is for you, and we look forward to seeing you there, from a safe distance.