Mostly Jazz Funk and Soul Festival has named Fat Freddy’s Drop and DJ Shadow as Sunday night headliners, and the first acts announced for 2027.
The Birmingham festival returns to Moseley Park from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 July. New Zealand’s Fat Freddy’s Drop will bring their current line-up back to the site, while DJ Shadow is set to perform his landmark album Endtroducing in full, 30 years after its release. Friday and Saturday headliners are still to come.
Fat Freddy’s Drop last played Mostly Jazz in 2023, sharing a bill with Goldie. Saxophonist Chopper Reeds, also known as Scott Towers, called that set one of the band’s favourite live experiences of recent years. “We played Mostly Jazz in 2023 with one of our absolute heroes, Goldie. Bringing our new line up back next year, and to play with another hero, DJ Shadow, is such an incredible honour,” he said. “It’s just a great festival, and performing there remains one of our favourite live experiences of the past few years. The chance to hear musical legends, and also discover new music, in a beautifully relaxed setting makes it a must do.”
The band are currently on their Based On A True Story (BOATS) 21st Anniversary Tour, which has played sold out venues across the EU and UK. Released as their debut album, BOATS won eight NZ Music Awards and spent 112 weeks in the Official Aotearoa Top 40 Albums Chart. It set up a career that has since taken in sunshine reggae, soul, psychedelia, jazz, house and R&B.
DJ Shadow arrives as part of celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of 1996’s Endtroducing. Widely acknowledged as the first completely sampled album, it redefined sampling and electronic music, and is still cited as one of the most influential records of its era. Since then he has worked with Nas, De La Soul, Run The Jewels, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, The Deftones, Dua Lipa, Beastie Boys and Radiohead. Later this year he is also set to team up with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.
John Fell, Mostly Jazz Funk and Soul’s booker, said the pairing fits the festival’s brief. “Blending so many genres, Fat Freddy’s Drop are a perfect act to sum up Mostly Jazz Funk and Soul’s musical ethos, while hearing DJ Shadow finally perform Endtroducing in full after 30 years is going to be a very special moment.”
Mostly Jazz has run at Moseley Park and Pool since 2010, with three main stages mixing international names and grassroots acts, plus DJ sessions and an independent food and drink offer. Hot Chip completed the 2026 line-up earlier this year, joining Fabio & Grooverider, Soul II Soul, Goldie and Nightmares On Wax. Recent Sunday closers have included Kool and The Gang in 2024 and Ezra Collective in 2025.
Tier 1 tickets have already sold out. Tier 2 and Tier 3 tickets go back on sale at 10am on Friday 30 October 2026 via mostlyjazz.co.uk. Booking fees are included.
Tier 2 (limited): adult weekend £157.50, adult day £54.50. Tier 3: adult weekend £162.50, adult day £59.95. Family and under-18 tickets are also available, and under-12s go free.
The festival takes place at Moseley Park and Pool, 93b Alcester Road, Birmingham, B13 8DD. More line-up news is expected over the coming months.
Image credits: Dave Freak
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