Quality music and inclusion, for Herts and north London
The Watford Jazz Junction Festival 10-18 May 2025
Show Tickets on sale now
Jazz Steps Around Oxhey Village: a free family-friendly event
Sun, 21 May
|Across Oxhey Village
A completely free to attend afternoon of live New Orleans, reggae, fusion, blues, jazz and more across Oxhey Village.


TIME & LOCATION
21 May 2023, 12:30 – 17:00
Across Oxhey Village, Watford WD19, UK - reached from Bushey Railway Station
ABOUT THE EVENT
Join us as we celebrate another amazing afternoon of free live music inside and outside of 5 family-friendly pubs across Oxhey Village.
We'll be at The Railway Arms, The Rifle Volunteer, The Villiers Arms, The Load of Hay, and, The Royal Oak on Watford Heath.
17 acts will be performing including the Art Themen Trio, Herts Big Band, John Watson Trio, Bucks Jazz Collective, The Fabulous Red Diesel, and The Ten Bells Rag Band. There'll also be a special instrumental stage hosted by John Watson at the Rifle Volunteer and a special vocal stage at the Villiers Arms curated by singer Esther Bennett.
Walk, talk, drink, eat, and socialise with friends and family.
There'll be ice-cream and a classic car show on Watford Heath and a very, very special final FREE SHOW with the legendary steelpan player Leon Foster Thomas at 5pm by the Heath, as we sign off the festival for another year.
There's no need to buy tickets but if you'd like to RSVP that will help us in our planning.
Expected acts and stages (12.30pm-5pm):
'Alternative Party' at the Railway
- 12.30pm The Fabulous Red Diesel (funk)
- 2.00pm The Ten Bells Rag Band (New Orleans)
- 3.30pm Brassbound (reggae/ska/funk)
'Instrumental Stage' at the Rifle Volunteer - hosted by John Watson
- 12.30pm Skylark Trio featuring Cornelius Corkery & Tobie Medland (gypsy jazz)
- 2.00pm John Watson Trio with Saleem Raman and Miles Danso (classic jazz)
- 3.30pm Ali Barut Quartet (Turkish psychedelia/folk/jazz)
'Vocal Stage' at the Villiers Arms - hosted by Esther Bennett
- Esther Bennett featuring Terence Collie & Richard Sadler
- Shireen Francis
- Irena Serra
- Alexander Williams
'Unplugged' at The Load of Hay
- 12.30pm Hoe Daddy Swingers featuring Paul Staples (blue grass)
- 2.00pm The Bucks Jazz Collective (mixed styles)
- 3.30pm Neil C Young Trio (rock/jazz fusion)
'Festival Stage' on Watford Heath
- 12.30pm Art Themen Trio with Pete Whittaker & George Double (bebop & post bop)
- 2.00pm Herts Big Band (mixed styles)
- Plus DJ sets from LP Cafe & Alan McKinnon across the day
Festival Closing Show on the Watford Heath Festival Stage
- 5.00pm-6.30pm Leon Foster Thomas Quintet (calypso & jazz)
Jazz Steps is kindly supported by: London Square, Arts Council England, Magic Little Grants, Watford Cultural Support & Development Fund, and a locality grant approved by Herts Cllr. Stephen Giles-Medhurst.