The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz is undoubtedly the premier event on Johannesburg’s jazz calendar, and takes place from 25 to 27 August at seven venues in the city’s Newtown precinct. The Dinaledi Stage and the Mbira Stage will be erected on Mary Fitzgerald Square, creating two purpose-built venues to showcase this year’s line-up. Other venues include Bassline, Sophiatown and Nikki’s Oasis. A new venue – the Conga stage – will host upbeat jazz and world music.

Standard Bank Joy of Jazz - which runs in Johannesburg’s Newtown precinct - has marked a decade of putting South Africa on the international jazz map. The annual jazz-travaganza attracted an audience of 2 000 in its first year and has now grown to over 20 000 attending one of South Africa’s seminal music events. Standard Bank Joy of Jazz presents an international line-up of top artists from around the world while continuing to discover and explore the heritage and riches of home-grown talent as well as that from the African Diaspora. Standard Bank Joy of Jazz has contributed to the cultural exchange between artists and many international performers have met their local counterparts and subsequently collaborated on various projects. Importantly, Standard Bank Joy of Jazz has also seen a phenomenal growth in the number of developing jazz artists who have been given exposure and a platform to perform. The staging of the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz in the Newtown Precinct has played an integral part in the regeneration of the inner city, having had significant benefits in helping to shape the future of Johannesburg, and contributing to the city's changing creative and cultural landscape.

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