manchesterΒ jazz festival and ForsythΒ MusicΒ ShopΒ have joined forces once again for theΒ mjf2026 piano trail competition toΒ findΒ Manchester’sΒ hidden talents across aΒ trail ofΒ 18Β street pianos – the largest piano trail in the UK –Β at locations across Manchester city centreΒ and beyond into Greater Manchester.Β Β 

FromΒ 29Β March – 31Β May, theΒ mjfΒ piano trailΒ competitionΒ encourages everyone to get creative andΒ justΒ have fun. AndΒ for those who want to take part,Β there’sΒ a chance to enter a competition to win a YamahaΒ digitalΒ piano and many more prizes!Β Β 

There will be two ‘celebrity’ pianos from the BBC joining the piano trail this year.Β They’veΒ been in BBC Radio studios for decades and have been played by lots of famous people and bands, mostΒ recentlyΒ the VerveΒ andΒ Rufus WainrightΒ andΒ back in the day, PaulΒ McCartneyΒ and David Bowie!Β Β 

THE LAUNCHΒ 

We’reΒ delighted to announce thatΒ Emma Loat, Manager of Forsyth Music Shop,Β willΒ launchΒ the mjf2026Β piano trailΒ competition,Β whichΒ will take placeΒ fromΒ 2-3pm onΒ SundayΒ 29Β MarchΒ atΒ Trafford Palazzo,Β in recognition ofΒ International Piano Day.Β The launch will featureΒ aΒ live performanceΒ fromΒ local singer-songwriterΒ Charlie CooperΒ and other guestsΒ to be announced soon onΒ manchesterΒ jazz festival’s social media channels.Β Β 

PRIZESΒ 

The prizes up for grabs so far are:Β 

  • YamahaΒ Digital PianoΒ 
  • HOME Bar & Kitchen:Β Two course meal for two (including bottle of wine/soft drinks)Β 
  • mjfΒ friends’ membershipΒ and ticketsΒ to an mjf2027 event of their choiceΒ 
  • Oldham gift card
  • PlusΒ more to be announcedΒ 

PLAY IT FORWARD: STREET PIANO FUNDΒ 

manchesterΒ jazz festival and Forsyth’s Music Shop are joining forces to fundraise for aΒ BIGGERΒ and better piano trail with theirΒ Play it Forward: Street Piano FundΒ campaign;Β toΒ maintain andΒ expand the current network of street pianos toΒ reach new venues, boroughs and communities across Greater Manchester all year round.Β To find out more and how you can support,Β pleaseΒ visit:Β www.manchesterjazz.com/playitforwardΒ Β 

PIANO TRAIL WALKING TOURSΒ 

After three years of sold-out tours, the piano trail walking tours are back! Join Josh from Free Manchester Walking Tours (FWMT) and his band, Sherpa K, as they followΒ manchesterΒ jazz festival’s famous piano trail across the city centre onΒ Sunday 17 and Sunday 24 MayΒ (Β£12 per adult, children go free). There will also beΒ live performances at some of the pianos on the trail, more information to be announced soon.Β Β 

HOW TO ENTER THE COMPETITIONΒ 

To be in with a chance of winning a prize, simply capture a short video of your tune, 5 minutes max, and post the video to your social media account (*not as a story). The competition closes at midnight on 31 May 2026. TagΒ mjfΒ @manchesterjazzfestival on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok and use the hashtagΒ #mjfpianotrailΒ 

There are no rulesΒ regardingΒ who can apply, just haveΒ funΒ and get creative! At the end of the piano trail,Β mjfΒ and Forsyth’s will select all winners, whose entries will beΒ showcasedΒ on social media and YouTube.Β 

VisitΒ manchesterjazz.com/pianotrailΒ to find out more about the piano trail, the walking tours and how to take part in the competition.Β 

TheΒ mjfΒ piano trail competition is delivered in partnership with the world-renowned Forsyth Music Shop of Deansgate and Yamaha pianos and is part ofΒ manchesterΒ jazz festival (mjf2026) which will take place at 12 venues across and beyond Manchester city centre fromΒ 15 – 24 May 2026. VisitΒ manchesterjazz.comΒ for more information and to book tickets.Β 

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said:Β β€œThis city-region has music running through its veins, andΒ theΒ mjfΒ piano trail will take music back out onto the streets of Manchester, giving more people the chance to try their hand at playing and toΒ encounterΒ the vibrant music of our city in aΒ really uniqueΒ way.” 

Emma Loat, Manager of Forsyth’s Music, said:Β β€œFor many years,Β we’veΒ had a street piano at the front of the Forsyth’s shop onΒ Deansgate,Β so we know that Manchester and the surrounding areas is full of talented musicians and those willing to have a go.Β We’reΒ really excitedΒ to supply 18Β pianos to a growing number of venues for theΒ mjfΒ piano trail andΒ we’dΒ urge all those budding performers to come forward, have a go and be in with a chance of winning some fantastic prizes.” 

JamesΒ SargeantΒ fromΒ Yamaha, one of this year’s piano trail sponsors, said:Β β€œWe are thrilled to be working with theΒ manchesterΒ jazzΒ festival again this year in support of theΒ mjfΒ pianoΒ trail 2026. This fantastic initiative enables anyone and everyone to enjoy playing and listening to the piano, in some iconic locations across the city and of course, with the chance to win a Yamaha digital piano this is not an opportunity to be missed! We look forward to hearing lots of new talent which will no doubtΒ emergeΒ during the trail.” 

The 18 piano locations are:Β Piccadilly Station, Manchester Arndale, HOME, Victoria Station, Great Northern, Spinningfields, Royal Exchange Arcade, Central Library, Forsyth Music Shop, Aviva Studios, Manchester Art Gallery, Salford Shopping Centre, Trafford Palazzo, Grand Arcade (Wigan), The Market at Spindles Shopping Centre (Oldham), Portland Basin Museum (Ashton-under-Lyne), Heywood Market (Rochdale) and Middleton Arena (Rochdale).Β 

FollowΒ manchesterΒ jazz festival:
Facebook atΒ /manchesterjazzfestival
InstagramΒ @manchesterjazzfestival
TikTokΒ @manchesterjazzfestival
Hashtag for piano trail:Β #mjfpianotrailΒ 

For further information, high resolution images or to arrange interviews please contact:Β Jeni Illingworth

Special thanksΒ to Forsyth’s for their support with theΒ mjf2026Β piano trail andΒ to Yamaha pianos for supplying the grand prize of aΒ YamahaΒ digitalΒ piano,Β and toΒ theΒ Free Manchester Walking Tours for collaborating withΒ mjfΒ for this year’s trail.Β Β 

mjf’s piano trail will return for 2023! The mjf piano trail is back for its second year (April 27 – 28 May 2023) where 13 pianos are dotted throughout Manchester, available for all passers-by to play. Delivered in collaboration with our friends at Forsyth Music shop and Yamaha, we will also be running a competitionΒ to […]

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