Venue: Band on the Wall (The Venue)

Tara Lily

Buy Tickets

Band on the Wall (The Venue)

Growing up in Peckham as part of a British Bengali family has given Tara Lily a highly personal perspective on music and global culture. She has spent her life absorbing a multitude of sounds and genres from her surroundings, from electronica to jazz, RnB and traditional Bengali folk music.

From training on piano and voice at Trinity Laban Conservatoire to learning Indian classical music, the resulting blend of sounds, and her deep understanding of the worlds from which they originate, has caught the attention of tastemakers Gilles Peterson, Iggy Pop, Jamie Cullum and Motown Records UK, who signed Tara as their first British artist.

Tara is a musical anomaly: a formidable talent who celebrates strength and power in her music. 2025 saw her joining King Krule on stage at the Apollo Theatre, supporting RAYE at the Royal Albert Hall and touring extensively around Asia, with a standout performance on the main stage at Sunsplash Goa.

With shows at Glastonbury, We Out Here, and Wilderness behind her, Tara toured North America supporting British-Indian singer-songwriter Dhruv, notably at Irving Palace, New York and The Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles; she brings her group to Band on the Wall for this matinee show, her mjf debut.

Please note this is a seated event with limited standing.

Date: sunday 24 may

Time: 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Price: from £13 (*plus fees)

Buy Tickets

Somewhere Soul Club Night

Buy Tickets

Band on the Wall (The Venue)

Josh Mason-Quinn is a London-based DJ, label A&R, event programmer and founder of new music discovery platform Somewhere Soul.  

Obsessed with the idea that his favourite music is still out there waiting to be discovered, he’s garnered an online following of over 1 million music fans who are locked into his music selections that span Jazz Fusion, Psychedelic Soul, Afro-Funk, Global Groove & more. 

Cutting his teeth behind the decks at University, Josh quickly became a regular on the club circuit in Nottingham holding down multiple residencies and supporting household names such as Maribou State and FKJ. After moving to London and launching Somewhere Soul, Josh expanded his music curation into live shows and 2024 marked the launch of his ‘Music to Expand Your Horizons’ live event series with sold out dates at both 91 Living Room and Jazz Cafe. 

Whether curating the music for clothing brand launches, guesting on radio shows such as Balamii or Soho Radio, performing at festivals such as Love Supreme or simply sharing music recommendations on Instagram, Josh has always felt compelled to enrich the lives of others through music.  

Precise start and finish times for this event are liable to change; for details, please check the mjf website on the day. 

Date: saturday 23 may

Time: 10:00 pm - 3:00 am

Price: £10-£15

Buy Tickets

Lau Noah

Buy Tickets

Band on the Wall (The Venue)

Lau Noah voice, Spanish guitar / Evan Tyor voice, guitar / Jamie Ellington visuals 

From the heart of Catalonia to the vibrant streets of New York City, Lau Noah captivates as a self-taught composer and virtuoso guitarist. 

Praised by countless distinguished musicians – from Phoebe Bridgers to Jackson Browne – for her poetic compositions and the masterful guitar-voice counterpoint in her music, Noah has become one of the most compelling independent artists in her generation. 

For her Manchester debut, she brings her latest multi-disciplinary project to mjf.  

Noah played a Tiny Desk Concert in February 2019, making her the first Catalan to perform in the prestigious series. She has given lectures in Ivy League universities and conservatories around the world and scored multiple award-winning films.  

Noah has been featured on the BBC, the Recording Academy and Billboard Magazine and has performed in legendary venues including the Royal Albert Hall and NYC’s Summer Stage and Carnegie Hall in December of 2025. 

In the past two years she has supported Chris Thile, Ben Folds & Jacob Collier on tour. 

In 2024, she released her first LP A Dos, duetting with some of the most influential musicians of our time: Jorge Drexler, Sílvia Pérez Cruz, Jacob Collier, Gaby Moreno and Cécile McLorin Salvant, amongst others.  

In the same year, she was a finalist in the American Songwriter Competition and won the award for Best New Artist in the acclaimed Cartagena Music Festival in Spain.  

“Lau is one of the most special storytellers on earth” – Jacob Collier 

“She’s one of my heroes” – Chris Thile 

“She’s a genius” – Moses Sumney 

“An absolutely extraordinary musician” – Jamie Cullum

Please note this is a seated event with limited standing. 

mjf and Band on the Wall gratefully acknowledge the support of Instituto Cervantes Manchester in making this concert possible . 

 

 

Date: saturday 23 may

Time: 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Price: from £15 (*plus fees)

Buy Tickets

China Moses

Buy Tickets

Band on the Wall (The Venue)

Glowing in the mjf2026 headline spotlight, singer, songwriter and producer China Moses evolves her artistry in truth. Defiantly real, her music resists what so many labels and critics desire: category. She captivates listeners with her deep pocket, sensitivity and wit, drawing inspiration from endless styles in the expansive lineage of Black American music.  

Frank and fearless, China’s songs document fleeting emotional states and extended narratives, often leaning into self-reflection both in lyric and phrasing. Her voice is a satin ribbon wrapped around a crackling flame. Listeners fortunate to observe her in live performance know the depth of her song interpretation. In a moment, she can revolve a world.  

The Los Angeles-born artist turned life-long Parisian has performed all over the world and appeared in international television and film projects, including a cult episode of Moesha: Songs in the Key of Strife, and The Lion King (The Circle of Life), as well as theatre roles as Sally Bowles in Cabaret and Billie Holiday in Cafe Society Swing.  

“She commands the stage from the moment she makes her entrance” — The Times UK 

Photography Credit: Alexandre Lacombe 

Precise start and finish times for this event are liable to change; for details, please check the mjf website on the day. 

Date: sunday 24 may

Time: 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Price: from £23 (*plus fees)

Buy Tickets

Bel Cobain + Support

Buy Tickets

Band on the Wall (The Venue)

Bel Cobain, the enigmatic songstress hailing from the heart of East London, evokes a mystique reminiscent of musical luminaries Pink Floyd and Kate Bush. Her journey, steeped in introspection, finds its zenith upon the stage, where she reveals her most authentic self, bathed in contentment and confidence. 

Emerging onto the scene in 2019 with the evocative Introverted Stoner, Bel has graced renowned stages at Love Saves The Day, Love Supreme, Jazz Cafe and The Roundhouse. Bel’s music transcends conventional boundaries, carving a niche with her radical ethos and poetic lyricism. 

Her latest EP, Radical Forgiveness, heralds a new era of expression that captivates audiences with its candid narratives and ethereal melodies. Always accompanied by her eclectic ensemble, Bel’s performances are a testament to her relationship with music, with each member contributing to the collective synergy. 

Beyond the stage, Bel’s artistry is embedded with a sense of purpose, challenging societal norms and political ideologies with every lyric penned. Yet, amidst the mess of modernity, Bel remains steadfast in her simplicity, guided by a desire to sing without the trappings of fame. 

In the tapestry of contemporary music, Bel Cobain stands as a beacon of authenticity. She channels the spirit of her influences while forging a path all her own. Bel’s music transcends time and space, inviting listeners into introspection and wonder.  

This year, Bel has graced the stage of the BBC 6 Music Maida Vale session alongside Gilles Peterson and embarked on an extensive year-long tour, making memorable stops at The Great Escape, Glastonbury, We Out Here, Somerset House, Neon In Nature, as well as captivating audiences in Paris, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Cologne, The Netherlands, and beyond.  

Precise start and finish times for this event are liable to change; for details, please check the mjf website on the day. 

Date: friday 22 may

Time: 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Price: from £15 (*plus fees)

Buy Tickets

Somewhere Soul presents: Cotonete

Buy Tickets

Band on the Wall (The Venue)

Florian Pellissier piano, keyboards / Frank Chatona saxophones / Paul Bouclier trumpet, acoustic guitar / Christophe Touzalin trumpet, keyboards / Benoit Giffard trombone / Farid Baha electric guitar / Jean-Claude Kebaili electric bass / David Georgelet drums, percussion  

Paris-based eight-piece disco-funk band Cotonete return to the UK for the first time in two years. 

Cotonete built their reputation through a series of rare singles and collaborations, notably with Dimitri from Paris, before releasing their first album in 15 years, Super-Vilains, in 2019 on Heavenly Sweetness. That record’s moody grooves and live shows across France and the UK—especially their Dingwalls appearance hosted by Gilles Peterson and Patrick Forge—cemented their reputation. Along the way, a creative connection with Brazilian legend Di Melo produced Atemporal, an eight-track blend of funk and Brazilian soul later sampled by Drake on his 2023 album For All the Dogs Scary Hours Edition.

Rolling into 2024, the band returned with their second full-length album, Victoire de la Musique, guided by producer Guts. The album celebrates global rhythms and playful energy, drawing inspiration from 70s French cinema and jazz-funk scenes worldwide. Tracks like Venezuela and Cinq Pour L’aventure showcase their adventurous spirit, while guests such as Sabrina Malheiros (on a Jorge Ben cover), Leron Thomas, Omar, and Gystere Peskine add rich international textures. With its fusion of Brazilian, Caribbean, and soul influences, Victoire de la Musique stands as both homage and manifesto—a vibrant “victory of music” uniting diverse sounds, cultures, and generations.

Precise start and finish times for this event are liable to change; for details, please check the mjf website on the day. 

Date: saturday 23 may

Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Price: from £23 (*plus fees)

Buy Tickets

Yellowjackets

Buy Tickets

Band on the Wall (The Venue)

Bob Mintzer bass clarinet, saxophones, EWI / Russell Ferrante keyboards / Dane Alderson bass / William Kennedy drums, percussion  

Support band TBC – 8PM

Yellow Jackets – 9PM

Well into their fifth decade as a band, Yellowjackets show no signs of slowing down. Very much the opposite, in fact – as implied by the title of their latest release, Fasten Up, the 27th album of the quartet’s storied career and their 7th for Mack Avenue Records. The curious turn of phrase, taken from the exhilarating title tune by bassist Dane Alderson, embraces the band’s ethos of unbridled momentum while carrying the suggestion of cautionary warning: brace yourself, fasten those seatbelts, Yellowjackets are back and the pedals to the metal.  

The spirit of forward motion that has propelled Yellowjackets throughout the band’s history has less to do with the tempo of the songs themselves – which as ever make up a vibrant blend of styles and influences – but with their commitment to exploration and renewal. Those ideas are reflected in the band’s line-up, which features founding pianist/keyboardist Russell Ferrante; drummer Will Kennedy, whose second tenure in the band (starting in 2010) has now surpassed his first (1987-1999); saxophonist Bob Mintzer came on board in 1990; and the Australian-born Alderson, who celebrates his first decade as a ‘Jacket alongside the release of Fasten Up. 

There is a communal joy that invigorates all the music that Yellowjackets create. The thrill of group discovery bristles through the muscular funk grooves, deepens the emotion of the ballads and digs deep to unearth the roots of the band’s bracing sense of swing. On Fasten Up, their rich history remains in focus in the rearview mirror as they accelerate into the future. 

“Jazz buffs know about the Yellowjackets. This is a Grammy-winning band that writes and performs intricate compositions that cross countless boundaries.”
- The Arts Fuse  

Precise start and finish times for this event are liable to change; for details, please check the mjf website on the day. 

Date: thursday 21 may

Time: 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Price: from £27 (*plus fees)

Buy Tickets