Support the festival's free community programme

Aim

Fundraising to deliver a high-quality and vibrant free community music programme as part of the 2023 Rye Jazz and Blues Festival.

Let there be music!

The Rye International Jazz & Blues Festival takes place from 24 - 28 August over the bank holiday weekend, featuring headline concerts, international artistes and a vast programme of free community music events. As a not for profit business we rely on fundraising to enable us to bring free live music to the community as part of the programme. The Kino outdoor stage alone requires £25,000 to pay for the artistes and infrastructure. Please donate to let there be music! 

Since the pandemic, sponsorship and avenues for grant funding have been seriously impacted. We are seeking to raise funding from the public and the wider business community to ensure that the festival can deliver on its promise and vision to bring incredible free live music to the Rye and East Sussex community.

Outdoor community music stage: Three days of free live music from 26-28 August, presenting the finest, jazz, soul, blues, latin and world music. 5 outstanding and diverse acts per day featuring emerging and established music talent from across the region and further afield located on the Kino Terrace.

Street music and marching bands: Bringing a New Orleans vibe to the streets of Rye, with colour, vibrancy and fun. 

Your donation however small or large is greatly appreciated.  Your support will will enable us to unite the wider community through the joy and wellbeing that music provides. 

Your donation will go directly towards the performance fees, staging, lighting, sound and infrastructure. The festival's community music programme will be determined by the combined total raised by individuals, patrons, businesses and grant funding. We are reaching for the stars so please show your support. Thank you.

Background

• Launched in 2012 the Rye International Jazz and Blues Festival is now in its 11th year.. 
• The festival is attended by 10,000 visitors from across the South East.
• We are a boutique high-quality and diverse music festival and our programme includes ticketed headline concerts in the intimate setting of St Mary's Parish church, with acclaimed and respected artistes from the world of jazz and blues such as Mica Paris, Emeli Sande, Sergio Mendes, Jose Feliciano, Ian Shaw, Mud Morganfield, Curtis Stigers, Beverley Knight, Imelda May, The Ronnie Scott’s All Stars, and many many more.
• Our outdoor performance stage showcases amazing regional musicians performing the coolest jazz, swing, blues, RnB, Latin, funk, soul, and Cuban music over four days with an eclectic and diverse range of quality music. 
• We also present an array of exceptional free music at fringe venues in the town, at pubs and cafes. The atmosphere in the town during the festival is electric and is enjoyed my so many from the local community and further afield.
• Our vision is to continue to bring wellbeing through the power of music; an artistic programme of quality, diversity and inclusivity that will engage the wider communities of not only Rye but also the county and beyond;  enhancing tourism and providing economic and cultural benefits to the region.

This project successfully funded on 24th August 2023