Packed Birmingham festival enjoys crowd-pleasing sets from Kool & The Gang, Leftfield and more (despite the footy result).
2025 tickets on sale now – limited discount available.
This year’s Mostly Jazz Funk and Soul Festival came to a close on Sunday (14 July 2024) with a jubilant headline set from US funk/soul icons Kool & The Gang.
Performing such dancefloor classics as Get Down On It, Celebration, Jungle Boogie and Ladies’ Night, their appearance ensured the long-running boutique Birmingham festival ended on a genuine high.
Their slot coincided with England’s hugely anticipated face-off against Spain for the Euros 2024 Final, which was shown on a truck-sized digital screen, away from the main arena, bought in especially for the historic occasion. Meanwhile, timings for the third Off Piste stage – where the game was also screened – were also rejigged to accommodate the match.
Despite the agonising defeat, footy fans quickly returned to the festival’s main stage once the game was over, ensuring a packed crowd for Kool.
The three-day Moseley Jazz Funk and Soul Festival opened on Friday 12 July 2024 with a headline appearance from ’90s techno pioneers Leftfield, with Birmingham MC Cheshire Cat guesting. They were preceded by an exuberant DJ set of UK garage bangers from People Just Do Nothing‘s Kurupt FM, featuring DJ Beats and Decoy (aka Hugo Chegwin and Danny Rankin).
Saturday’s bill was topped by visionary musician Yussef Dayes. The London-based percussionist aired material from his debut album, the groove-filled Black Classical Music – one of the most acclaimed releases of the decade – aided by a crack band that included Brum keyboard maestro Reuben James.
Other highlights over the weekend included appearances from Washington DC’s The Blackbyrds (who reworded their Rock Creek Park track Moseley Park), a resplendent Greentea Peng, and boiler-suit wearing Thumpasaurus, plus storming DJ sets from Mr Scruff and broadcaster Craig Charles. Saturday also witnessed a marriage proposal (for the second year running), from guests Charlie and Lill.
Taking place at Moseley Park and Pool, in the Birmingham suburb of Moseley, over 50 artists took to the festival’s three main stages over the long summer weekend. Festival-goers also enjoyed a range of workshops and activities, including introductions to swing, Northern Soul and graffiti, as well as food by many of the region’s leading street food vendors.
John Fell, Mostly Jazz Funk and Soul Festival Manager said: “There were so many special moments at the festival this year, from amazing performances from local artists such as Neone The Wonderer, to such hotly tipped emerging acts as neo-jazz singer-songwriter Ni Maxine – who recorded a great Secret Session on-site for JazzFM.”
Mostly Jazz Funk and Soul Festival returns next year from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 July 2025. Limited Tier One tickets are on sale now, with 20% off presently available to all previous ticket holders, and those signed up to Mostly Jazz’s newsletter. To find out more, see: mostlyjazz.co.uk