The 2026 festival will be held between the 9th and 11th of October 2026. Marsden Jazz Festival is one of the longest-running jazz festivals in the UK.
Although not in Saddleworth, Marsden is a stone’s throw away over t’hill in proper Yorkshire. It’s the next stop on the Greenfield to Huddersfield railway line and about 15 minutes away by car. You can even walk there over the Pennines in a couple of hours, it’s a splendid hike.
The Marsden Jazz Festival is a truly fabulous weekend of music and fun and is a festival that never takes itself too seriously despite having a roll call of some of the best Jazz musicians in the country. The 2026 programme is out now on the festival website, and rest assured it’s magnificent (as always!)
The festival was founded in 1992, and thousands of visitors now make the trip to Marsden every October by train, bus, car or even narrowboat. It’s run with the help of more than 60 volunteers, in the beautiful village of Marsden set on the River Colne in West Yorkshire.
The highlight of the weekend for many is the parade held on the Saturday that sees a plethora of performers parading down Peel street through the centre of the village, and like the children following the pied piper of Hamelin, the crowd goes with the flow. This is a very interactive parade, you are not required to stand on ceremony. Expect something magical and something unique from the musicians, it’s always a bit wacky, and always a lot of fun.
The festival is well known for not only attracting world-renowned and established artists, but also for providing a platform for youth groups and early-career musicians to have an opportunity to share their talents with a receptive audience. There is really something for everyone as well, with traditional jazz mixed in with experimental sounds and there are some incredible and even some crazy performances from an eclectic mix of musicians.
Check out the Marsden Jazz Festival website for more details.
Marsden is a super village located at the other end of the Standedge tunnel and is very similar in style and history to the villages of Saddleworth having prospered through the production of woollen cloth. It’s got some great little restaurants, the Olive Branch slightly out of the village on Manchester Road is one of the best in the region, and the Riverhead Brewery Tap on Peel Street, which pours Riverhead’s own ales alongside beers from Ossett and SALT, is a superb place to stop off for a pint. Their Butterley Bitter is so wonderful, it’s worth a trip over the hill just for a pint, and in fact, I make it a priority to head there every time I’m back in Uppermill.
More information about Marsden can be found here.
If you are heading to the festival I hope you have a fabulous time, it really is a spectacular weekend, the setting is just perfect and the welcome to visitors is always warm, even if the weather isn’t.
Cheers and beers and Jazz
Cliff
