Major expansion as Jazz fest thinks big

ONE of the Capital’s best-known summer festivals has revealed it is to expand dramatically.

The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival will use the 1900-capacity Festival Theatre as its flagship venue in 2012, and is to host the likes of Jools Holland, Clint Eastwood’s son Kyle and Scottish soul funk group The Average White Band.

Among the highlights of this year’s programme - which is being held from 20 to 29 July - are American performers The Bad Plus and the North Mississippi All Stars. There will also be special programmes of Italian and Polish jazz.

The expansion comes after the festival last year moved forward a week to avoid a clash with the Fringe. Organisers have hailed the change as a success and said it will be permanent.

Organisers also said they have £50,000 of funds to put on the traditional festivals parade along Princes Street.

Fiona Alexander, festival director, said: “It’s been an ambition in recent years to see the festival really expand and moving into the Festival Theatre very much fits in with that ethos.”