After more than 30 years as one of the beacons of the Australian jazz scene, Wangaratta Festival of Jazz & Blues has announced that it will wind up its operations after presenting a final and much reduced event in November.

Taking a final bow … the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz & Blues. Photo supplied

Despite the 2022 events leading the Festival resulting in a positive balance sheet, the festival’s management team has cited continuing financial constraints, an uncertain outlook for music festivals generally, and a diminution of its volunteer base as factors in its decision to “go out on a high note”.

The final Wangaratta Festival of Jazz & Blues will take place 3-5 November 2023.

The announcement comes after two years of COVID-19 disruption and instability at board and artistic management level. Between 2018 and now, four artistic directors have come and gone. Last year’s event, the first since COVID restrictions were lifted, was marred by heavy rains.

The festival’s decline has been precipitous. In its heyday, it presented international luminaries including American saxophonists Sam Rivers and Odean Pope, Polish trumpet star Tomasz Stanko and his...