The annual Brecon Jazz Festival and ‘Frazz’ Carnival Parade has traditionally taken place over the second weekend in August, although there plans to extend the Jazz Festival across the month of August. Since around 2005 a Brecon Fringe has grown up around the Jazz Festival (a Baroque Fringe also takes place during the 2nd week in October). The ‘Fringe’ is an open-access series of events, where performers and acts are organised and funded by local landlords, venue owners or individuals. Many of the gigs in pubs, and cafes etc are the same regulars who return every year, but anyone can put on an event to take part in the Brecon Fringe. Brecon Jazz Club also helps advise and promote quality jazz and cross-over performers as part of this programme. As far as we know the ‘Fringe’ has no formal structure or organisation, but bands have been able to find a source of information on an independently operated website Breconfringe.co.uk website. Our advice if you are a fringe musician or band, is to contact the venues directly.
Third party contractors are sometimes engaged to manage and control a town centre street closure, which helps to provide a festive atmosphere to the whole weekend. Street traders should also contact the contractors (epm) direct for information about availability of stall locations, for example.
This years JAZZ on the FRINGE had over 30 performances, as the Festival organisers have expanded the Jazz street entertainment – download programme HERE