The programme for the 2015 Brighton Festival was announced at a press launch held at Brighton Dome Studio Theatre on 18th February.

    The Guest Director of the Festival, award winning Scottish author Ali Smith, explained the bird theme and motif for this year’s festival: “Imagine the world seen from the eye of a bird”.

    Featuring just two jazz concerts in the programme, even fewer than last year, the organisers have gone for quality, rather than quantity.

    Vocalist Carleen Anderson will appear at the Theatre Royal with the Julian Joseph Trio on Friday 22nd May. Carleen, whose step-father is Bobby Byrd, performs a Brighton Festival Commission that pays tribute to Sarah Vaughan.

    Continuing the bird theme of this year’s festival, contemporary jazz trio GoGo Penguin return to the Festival performing at the Dome Corn Exchange on Friday 8th May.

    The Festival Fringe programme has also been announced and will feature some of the finest local musicians such as Liane Carroll, Straight No Chaser big band, Mingus Underground, Edana Minghella and Joss Peach’s Full Circle.

Charlie Anderson