The Melbourne International Jazz Festival returns in 2021 with a huge program.

Running from October 15–24, Australia’s largest jazz festival will feature more than 400 artists performing at 120 events across 30 venues, where they will present three world premieres, 13 album launches and 20 Australian premieres.

Fat Freddy’s Drop will headline the inaugural Big Sunday at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl to close the 2021 Melbourne International Jazz Festival. Image supplied.

This year the festival will also celebrate Paul Grabowsky as its first-ever Artist in Residence, which will see the acclaimed pianist, composer and conductor collaborating with a huge range of artists to showcase the breadth of his artistry, and the stylistic possibilities of jazz and improvised music.

“After a testing period for live music, Australia’s jazz community continues to thrive,” said Artistic Director Michael Tortoni. “Central to this resilience is the genre’s inherent collaborative quality – a refreshing antithesis to the isolation we have endured over the past 18 months. As George Gershwin once said, ‘Life is a lot like jazz. It’s best when you improvise,’ so as we hurtle towards our 24th festival, collaboration – coming together...