In London, December is a month when the lights dim early but the city’s rhythm never stops.
And the Elgar Room at Royal Albert Hall is one of the venues that captures this atmosphere best.
On stage this time is one of the year’s most eagerly awaited jazz traditions:
Jazz at the Movies: A Swinging Christmas.
This special performance, which fills Ronnie Scott’s every year without fail, is already sold out at Royal Albert Hall in 2025. Swing, cinematic memories, sweet nostalgia, and the glittering energy of year-end form the core ingredients of the show.
Joanna Eden: The jazz embodiment of the Christmas spirit
At the heart of the stage stands Joanna Eden, described by Time Out as “the UK’s Norah Jones and Diana Krall rolled into one.”
Eden’s vocals are both warm and refined; a tone that transports the listener to both 1950s Hollywood and timeless jazz clubs.
In this Christmas concert, Eden revives the iconic “holiday jazz” interpretations of legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Eartha Kitt, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Bing Crosby, and Dean Martin.
In a way, the concert feels like an old film reel spinning once more to the rhythm of jazz.
Chris Ingham Quartet: One of the finest accompanying ensembles in British jazz
Accompanying Joanna Eden is the Chris Ingham Quartet, called by Jazz Journal “one of the country’s very best ensembles.”
Blending the lightness of swing with the clean touch of modern jazz, the group plays with both elegance and playful vitality.
This performance highlights the quartet’s musical wit, glittering arrangements, and the cinematic atmosphere they create with seamless transitions.
A performance that tells the Christmas spirit through jazz
Jazz at the Movies is anything but a standard “Christmas concert.”
The show is shaped by:
- anecdotes from the golden age of cinema,
- stories of Hollywood’s flirtation with jazz,
- songs that instantly transport the audience to 1940s film studios.
As one audience member put it:
“Pure joy.”
That is precisely the concert’s aim—to create a heart-warming lightness in the greyest time of the year.
A Swinging Christmas at Royal Albert Hall: Why So Special?
The warm red ambience of the Elgar Room adds a unique intimacy to this kind of music.
Swing offers a year-end language that is both fun and sophisticated.
The performance revives the collective memory of jazz standards embedded in cinema history.
It is the go-to destination for anyone seeking a “cheerful yet refined” evening at this time of year.
Event Details
- Date: 10 December 2025
- Venue: Elgar Room, Royal Albert Hall
- Doors: 21:00
- Start: 21:30
