Get Into The Swing Of Edinburgh's Jazz & Blues Festival

Jazz and Blues fans will find plenty to delight when visiting Edinburgh during its annual Jazz & Blues Festival.

While Edinburgh is a welcoming city for jazz and blues musicians all year round, July sees the Scottish capital celebrate all things jazz in spectacular style. If you're a jazz fan, then Edinburgh's annual Jazz & Blues Festival isn't one to miss. Every summer the city spends 10 days in a musical haze, with everything from contemporary jazz to old school tunes filling the streets and setting toes tapping.

This celebration of jazz and blues through the ages is part of the regular festival programming that makes Edinburgh such a vibrant place to visit during the summer months, and is loved by locals and visitors alike. Discover that music is alive and kicking in the Scottish capital by taking a trip to soak up the sounds in July.

As Britain's biggest jazz festival, you can rest assured you'll enjoy an atmosphere felt nowhere else in the country at this friendly and welcoming event. Around 100 performances are packed into the 10 day period, so you're sure to be able to find the styles and songs that suit you best. Rather than follow a rigid line, the festival is inclusive of many different genres, so you'll be able to choose from everything from early ragtime to modern R&B.

The venues vary, so you could find yourself kicking up your heels everywhere from swanky concert halls to trendy pubs or even church halls; just make sure you bring your dancing shoes. The Jazz & Blues Festival takes place a few weeks before the annual International Festival, meaning it tends to get the party started. If you're able to stay on to enjoy the festival and Fringe, you'll find there are many more musical treats in store. However, a large proportion of travelling jazz and blues fans prefer the slightly quieter and more relaxed vibe of the city in the weeks before the whole summer festival shebang kicks off proper.

While the festival makes use of venues of all shapes and sizes, you'll also have the chance to check out some of Edinburgh's top places for musical performances throughout the year. From the Jazz Bar on Chamber Street - a funky, underground bar with three gigs on a day every single day - to the Jam House - an Edinburgh institution owned by the unforgettable Jools Holland. If you're after some more traditional sounds, Eighty Queen Street should be right up your alleyway - and you'll be able to sit back and dine at this welcoming venue too.

Hotels in Edinburgh are plentiful, and you should be able to find accommodation to help you make the most of the music without any bother. Hotels on Fredrick Street Edinburgh will offer you a place to stay nearby the Jam House and Eighty Queen Street, as well as a number of other music venues. Choose hotels near the centre of Edinburgh and you'll find it's possible to walk to the majority of Blues & Jazz Festival events with little bother at all.