Southport Jazz Festival ~ jazz and real ale

Not recommended as a drinking vessel

The Southport Jazz Festival returns this month, 10 to 12 May, and it will be based in the newly refurbished arts centre, now known as the Atkinson, which will feature most of the main events. CAMRA will be running a small beer festival in the Cambridge Theatre Bar area; it's open to all and there is no admission charge to the bar, although there is to the concerts. The beer festival will be open throughout the jazz festival, unless the beer runs out first. You can see who's on, both in the Atkinson and around the town in the brochure here.

Jazz in other real ale venues around the town (very few this year)

Friday 
Credo in the Sandgrounder Bar, Lord Street at 8.30pm. Free.
Chameleon in the Coronation, King Street, at 9.00pm. Free.

Saturday 
Modjango in the Inn Beer Shop, Lord Street at 2.30pm. Free.
Cottonhouise Shakers in the Coronation, King St. at 9.00pm. Free.

However, if you can cope without real ale, you'll see from the brochure that there are plenty of other jazz events around the town in various places, some in the open air in the Town Hall Gardens, and the Café D'Art in Formby is hosting free events for diners. There's even a couple of free concerts on Saturday afternoon in Christ Church on Lord Street, although I doubt anything stronger than tea will be available. I'm not sufficiently familiar with jazz to comment upon the various acts that will be on, but I will be going to some of the events and working for three sessions in the beer festival in the Atkinson. Even if you don't like jazz, the beer festival is surely worth a visit!