Curtains Jazz Festival is grooving all night every night until 15 February inside Sydney’s Curtains Jazz Club. After its secret opening late last year, this old-world Parisian jazz club in the CBD is hosting live music sets seven nights a week that feature everything from classic jazz hits and groovy improv to Latin-infused jazz and much more. Cocktails, speakeasy-esque vibes and electric evenings of the best jazz in town—and entry is completely free.
Curtains Jazz Festival 2026: live jazz music and cocktails in Sydney’s CBD
Curtains Jazz Festival 2026 is taking place from 4 January to 15 February. Every evening, jazz musicians will take to the stage at around 7 or 8pm for an hour or so, followed by curated DJ vibes until close (usually 2am). Musicians on the festival’s lineup include jazz-fusion band Dink, soulful vocalist Angela Rose and singer Katey Wadey.
Doors open at 5pm, so you can get there early to grab a seat and sip on a cocktail or two. Favourites include the Whisky Highball with mandarin liqueur and the Mary Pickford with Xaymaca rum and pandan liqueur.
Curtains Jazz Club: a sultry Parisian hideaway in the CBD
Curtains is a dimly-lit live music venue inspired by jazz greats like Ronnie Scott’s in London and Smalls in New York. Located at 10 Philip Street in Sydney’s CBD, the jazz club has a 1920s Parisian charm thanks to its lush velvet seating, dark walnut wood panelling and rich timber frames. It’s intimate, cosy and has that hidden gem vibe that makes evenings here feel extra special.
More live jazz concerts in Sydney
The Jazz Room
The Jazz Room is a series of live music shows that pay homage to classic jazz and improv as well as blues and soul. From a tribute to Sinatra and Armstrong to an evening dedicated to timeless NOLA jazz, there are multiple performances swinging in Sydney this season. Expect syncopated rhythms, expressive brass lines and feel-good grooves that defined these genres’ formative years.
Classic Jazz in Four Hands
Four-hands piano players Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi are bringing an intimate live performance to St James King Street Church this 11 February. Their set will include renditions of hits by Thomas “Fats” Waller, Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and others.
James Morrison’s Big Band LIVE
Australian jazz virtuoso James Morrison is set to take The Orpheum stage this 21 February alongside a 17-piece big band. Expect a bold and energetic performance featuring multi-instrumental mastery.