Zimbabwe Jazz Festival returns to Harare, Bulawayo in September

The Bulawayo concert will take place at Alliance Française, 61 Heyman Road, from 6pm to 10pm on Friday 12 September. The line-up includes vocalist Dudu Manhenga, saxophonist Vee Mukarati, the Frank Salis Experience – a collaboration of musicians from Zimbabwe, Italy, Zambia, Switzerland and the United States – and the Tich Makalisa Band. Tickets are priced at $10 and $15.

The Harare concert will follow on Saturday 13 September at Alliance Française de Harare, 328 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, running from 2pm to 10pm. Performers include Vee Mukarati, the Frank Salis Experience, bassist Josh Meck, singer Rute Mbangwa, Bulawayo musician Charles Banda (Mahlaba) of Sunduza, township jazz collective Mbare Jazz, and vocalist NokuTenda with The Legacy Band. Entry is set at US$20.

“The 2025 Zimbabwe Jazz Festival is a vibrant celebration of music’s power to connect us,” ZJCT artistic director Filbert Marova said. “This year’s programme blends the deep-rooted heritage of jazz with bold, forward-thinking innovation, creating an unforgettable experience that honours our past while looking to the future. We are thrilled to share it with you.”

Alliance Française Harare director Fanny Gauthier said the event reflected the organisation’s vision of music as a tool for cultural exchange. “The Zimbabwe Jazz Festival embodies this vision by bringing together Zimbabwean and international artists around jazz – a universal language of dialogue and creativity,” she said.

She added that this year’s edition will feature the Frank Salis Experience – The Zambezi Sessions, a project uniting musicians from Zimbabwe, Zambia, Switzerland, Italy and the United States, which will also tour other cities in the region.

Alliance Française Bulawayo director Guillaume Ripaud said: “This fourth edition of the Zimbabwe Jazz Festival in Bulawayo is showing that with years, this event gets more recognition and more international components. For us, this is the highlight of our music programme. Our partnership with the Zimbabwe Jazz Community Trust, as well as with Zimbabwean artists – based in the country or abroad – is every year getting stronger.”

The Zimbabwe Jazz Community Trust was founded in 2016 to promote and preserve the country’s jazz tradition. Its board of trustees includes Chairperson Robert Basvi, artistic director Filbert Marova, Kumbula Chiweza, Tinashe Mukarati and Blessing Chaumba.