UPTON Jazz Festival is moving back into the town centre for its 33rd event, taking place in the riverside town later this month.

Upton Memorial Hall, the King’s Head and Swan pubs and the Star Hotel will host some of the festival’s 50-plus gigs, along with the parish church and the Boathouse.

Jazz will also ring out from the Under The Bridge venue, so ticket-holders can sit by the river to enjoy the music.

The event is moving back into town after more than two decades away from the historic centre, first when it moved to marquees on Fish Meadow and later to the sports field.

Musical director Rachel Hayward said the new venues would add to the festival’s buzzing atmosphere, which promises a New Orleans-style parade of jazz fans dancing with decorated umbrellas as well as a lively new fringe festival.

“Feedback from last year steered us in this direction,” said Rachel, who plays guitar, vibes and banjo with the Saratoga Club Orchestra.

“We knew it would be good for the town and for the jazz, that the atmosphere would be even better, that the town would be full and that we’d attract new and younger people to the event.”

This year’s line-up includes more than a dozen bands new to the weekend, as well as a raft of festival favourites including Bev Pegg and British Jazz Award-winners Alan Barnes, Amy Roberts and Craig Milverton.

New faces include Paris-based Mama Shakers, BBC favourites the Basin Street Brawlers, Tom Bell with his boogie-woogie piano, guitar wizard Madi Stimpson and the Django Reinhardt-inspired Fret and Fiddle.

The international contingent is led by Jazz Connection, from Holland, Keith Nichols and his Ragamuffins, some of whom hail from Australia, and James Evans fresh from New Orleans.

In addition, the Best of Young Jazz, which celebrates the rising stars of the jazz world through a year-long outreach programme in schools, colleges and conservatoires, will see talented youngsters play in a venue at the back of Panes Garage.

“Everything is in place, from the bands to the security, the camp site to the stewards, and we can’t wait for it to get under way,” she said.

“Everyone’s genuinely excited about the new format, and we’re confident it’s going to be a huge success. It’s going to be a terrific weekend of music.”

The festival takes place from Thursday to Saturday, June 21 to 24.