We're back and are asking once again if you can donate to be a part of a truly special event. Your contribution, no matter how big or small, will be... instrumental!
Jazz Steps Around Oxhey Village is set for Sunday 18 May 2025, creating a celebration of music, community, and showcasing the spirit of togetherness.
It's a day when melodies and grooves fill the air, and is as always, entirely FREE TO ATTEND.
We Need Your Support
Running Jazz Steps Around Oxhey Village is no small feat. To make it happen again, we need your support. Here's how you can help:
- If we can raise £1k, we can support a new mini stage to feature local primary school children taking part in a series of jazz workshops we're running in spring.
- If we can raise £2.5k, we can support extra funding across all our sites (6 pubs, the Bowls Club, and new for 2025 St Matthews Church Hall) and our large outdoor stage.
We are of course actively seeking other grant funding, as the total cost to run Jazz Steps Around Oxhey Village in 2025 is £26,000.
So, your amazing support will make a world of difference.
Why Jazz Steps Around Oxhey Village?
Oxhey is a special part of our wonderful town and provides lots of different places to eat, drink, relax with family, and hear live music.
We believe that access to high-quality live music is a crucial part of life and we're on a mission to make it accessible to all.
That's why we subsidise all our tickets across our annual festival (10-18 May) and offer as many free shows as possible, including EVERY ACT that appears at Jazz Steps.
The Magic of Jazz Steps
For the last three years Jazz Steps has been a resounding success, with more than 100 bands and artists having performed, ranging from grassroots talents to seasoned professionals.
The diverse players cross jazz genres from ska, reggae, and blues, to swing, fusion, and bop, ensuring that there is something for everyone. And we promise even more musical surprises in 2025 including a youth choir, the return of our adult orchestra (maybe with some more George Michael wrapped in!), and our very own dance hall with big bands and an instructor.
Making It Happen
To create this musical extravaganza, we transform the local Oxhey Village pubs into vibrant performance spaces with professional sound systems.
We will take over Oxhey Green (moving from Watford Heath this year), installing a top-notch stage with quality sound.
And we bring together scores of dedicated volunteers (50+), 9 professional engineers, and of course more than 150 amazing musicians - coordinating an entire afternoon's free entertainment to create memorable experiences for all.
In 2024, more than 3,000 people joined us, and our commitment remains the same - to keep the event open and inclusive for all, especially families.
Who's Behind It?
Jazz Steps is organized solely by the Watford Jazz Junction, a local community interest company that operates entirely on a not-for-profit basis.
We are a passionate group of local people dedicated to enriching our community with the joy of live music across the year, culminating with a 9-day festival every May right across the town.
Jazz Steps is our grand finale and provides an incredible celebration of music and community.
How the Costs Add Up
Our budget covers essential elements including PAs, stage installation, generators, security, fencing, tent hire, toilets, professional staff, and, of course, fair compensation for our incredible artists and bands.
We believe firmly, that every artist deserves to be paid for their time and skills.
We also call on our local businesses who are involved to contribute to making this event a reality.
Your support can help us keep the music playing, the community connected, and the spirit of jazz & live music alive in Watford & Oxhey.
THANK YOU!