Islay Jazz Festival 2026: Festival Round-Up

Caol Ila Islay Jazz Festival 
Islay, Scotland
September 11-13, 2026

The 27th jazz festival on the Scottish whisky island of Islay (pronounced eye-la) brought together the best of Scotland's burgeoning jazz talent, particularly younger players, with international guests. With shows in distilleries, village halls, bird sanctuaries and other unexpected venues, the weekend was a magical experience.

September 11, 2026

The festival opened with two shows in the hi-tech Caol Ila distillery visitor center. Caol Ila, one of ten internationally renowned distilleries on the island and part of the Johnnie Walker group, sponsored the festival this year. Free nips of 18-year-old malt on the way into each show added to the festive feeling.

Guitarist Graeme Stephen premiered an ambitious new commission based on George Orwell's 1984. Orwell wrote the novel while living on nearby Jura and once narrowly avoided drowning in the Corryvreckan whirlpool. Stephen's hour-long suite, performed by a quartet including London Sinfonietta violist Fiona Winning, cellist Juliette Lemoine and tenor saxophonist Matt Kilner, unfolded in seven movements tied to the novel and Orwell's experience writing it. Abstract and emotional, the music featured guitar loops, guttural sax textures and high string harmonics. A moment of optimism came in "Winston and the Proles," where hero Winston Smith is transported back to earlier times. This intricate blend of composed and improvised work made for a remarkable festival opening.

Romanian trio AMPHITRIO followed at the Islay Gaelic Centre (ICCI). Andrej Petrache, Mike Alex and Philip Goron drew on Nordic and Balkan influences alongside strong jazz sensibilities, using keyboards, drum pads and samples to create the contemporary sound heard on their EP Traces (Self-released, 2026).

Back at Caol Ila, alto saxophonist Laura Macdonald premiered her Islands suite with a gifted young Scottish trio: Peter Johnstone (piano), Chris Quinn  (bass) and Roan Anderson (drums). (The full review is available at Laura Macdonald Quartet at Caol Ila Islay Jazz Festival.)

September 12, 2026

Saturday morning offered two contrasting openers. Graeme Stephen and Fiona Winning performed in the superb acoustics of Bowmore's Round Church, their atmospheric guitar—viola interplay delighting the audience. Meanwhile Macdonald, Johnstone and bassist Ewan Hastie delivered animated Great American Songbook standards at the RSPB Centre at Gruinart.

A festival highlight followed in the afternoon: Fergus McCreadie's extraordinary solo set combining Brahms with improvisation. Read the full review here (link coming). Later, two gigs honored The Drummer, the festival's theme this year. At Bruichladdich Hall, Aberdeen drummer Richard Glassby led his quartet through tunes including from his debut album Eclipse (Self-released, 2020).

Down the road at Lagavulin, Roan Anderson led his band TAO. Ewan Johnstone (keys), Chris Quinn (electric bass), Simon Herberholz (tenor sax) and Liam O'Neill (flugelhorn) played original music with majestic melodies, electric backing and intricate beats. "Molly," written for a departed friend, was moving and expansive, while "Emotionally Unintelligent" charged ahead with pace and a strong Herberholz solo. The rhythm section continued into the next set with vocalist Laura Osa, whose accessible show drew a packed audience.

The late show at Bruichladdich Hall featured Australian-born, London-based trumpeter and vocalist Audrey Powne. With a high-caliber pick-up band (McCreadie, Stephen, Hastie, Glassby), she shaped the music from the front. "Nardis" settled into a rich soundscape, and her tune "Breaking Hearts" brought strong vocals and another standout McCreadie solo. Two climate-themed numbers followed: Powne's "From The Fire," inspired by Australia's bushfire recovery, and Coltrane's "After The Rain," which she noted were "in the same bailiwick."

September 13, 2026

Sunday began with a family-friendly jazz breakfast at Bruichladdich Hall. At Caol Ila, bluesman Toby Mottershead performed in the atmospheric barrel store. "I could almost see the "Angel's Share" [referring to the whisky lost to evaporation through the oak casks during maturation] rising to the roof," he said afterward.

Powne returned early for a solo set at ICCI, singing at the piano. She opened with "Ballad 4027," followed by a beautifully rendered "I Like The Sunrise," full of rich chords and delicate vocals. The audience clapped along to "Broken Record" and sang harmonies on the closing "Believe," whose chorus, "I believe it can get better," made an ideal Sunday message.

Saxophonist, flautist and vocalist Kimberley Tessa performed duets with guitarist Sean Bisset at Laphroaig distillery. Standards in the first half showcased her expressive voice and breathy flute work, while the second half introduced original material ahead of her London Jazz Festival project later this year.

A collaboration between Romanian and Scottish musicians followed at ICCI, with Amphitrio joined by Herberholz and O'Neill. Tunes came from both sides, including Herberholz's "Petrichor ii" (named after the term for the smell of rain) and Petrache's ballad "Rain Song." Few places suit the smell of rain better than a Scottish island.

The Islay Jam brought together festival regulars, including drummer Brian Palmer, an Ìleach (resident of Islay) who has played at every festival. As the session grew, musicians sat in: Toby Mottershead with "St James Infirmary Blues," Ewan Johnstone on piano, Isabel Nardo on vocals and festival director John Youngs on bass.

The festival closed at Bruichladdich Hall with Matt Kilner's electric band. Drummer Gerwin Eisenhauer was stranded by flight cancellations, so Roan Anderson stepped in with only an hour's rehearsal. With Stephen, Hastie and Powne joining, the band delivered a thrilling finale.

The Islay Jazz Festival remains a unique experience: top-class musicians, novel groupings, iconic locations, stunning scenery and the warmest welcome from Jazz Scotland and Islay Arts. Applause is due to John Youngs, Celia and Stuart Todd and their small teams for sustaining and growing this outstanding tradition.