Parties

The first evening, none other than our local Big Band ‘t Mouvement will warm up your feet.

They are the ambassadors of all your beloved swing classics. Think Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Gene Krupa, Fletcher Henderson, and many more from the 30s and 40s.

Playing in Ghent pubs as well as at national and international dance festivals this band proves jazz is for everybody.  Marie-Anne Standaert keeps this over-enthusiastic gang on a tight leash.  ’t Mouvement will get you back on your feet on the first night of Upside Down!

The Shirt Tail Stompers, led by trumpeter Steve Coombe, have played at numerous dance camps and shows in over 25 countries all over the world. They have a passion for swing music and an extensive understanding of social dancing. We challenge them to turn our Thursday evening Upside Down!

Founded by the trombone player Timothé le Maire in 2019, the Juke Records Big Band will swing your socks off with no less than 14 of the greatest jazz musicians from Brussels. The Juke Records Big Band combines friendship between musicians with the expertise in the jazz music you’ve been dying to hear. Get ready to be blown Upside Down on our third night of the festival. 

Born in 2015 out of a collaboration between musicians and a lindy hop dancer, Reverent Juke definitely honors the roots of swing. They are infamous for their explosive rhythm section (Tom Lambrecht), the bouncing bass and voice of Andrew Bolton and the wild stride of Julien Gillain. With Martin Bolton on clarinet, Pauline Leblond on the trumpet and Mathieu Najean on reeds they will come back to their place of birth on Saturday night and blow us into fiery flames until we drop.

Ghent-based collective Jake Walker originated in the swing dance scene. Swing music connects this group of artists with diverse musical personalities. Renowned for their creativity and dynamics they carry on and enrichen the tradition of jazz music. This local band will tear the house and the festival down.