Soup’s on, the marquee’s heated and the countdown is real — Jazz In The Garden returns 26 July, and this time it comes with a tribute nobody saw coming.
LEN KALANE
Mark it, diarise it, circle it in red — because if you’ve already got Jazz In The Garden pencilled in, consider this your nudge to ink it. From today, just one Sunday stands between you and the marquee and the countdown starts now. The Sunday of July 19 sees the last one tick by and then comes the other, then it’s showtime: 26 July, 2026.
Yes, it’s the dead of winter. But that’s exactly the point. We said it before and we’ll say it again — this is the perfect excuse to wrap your hands around a hot mug, spoon your way through a good soup, or simply pull on a coat and step out to let the jazz do the rest. Or, frankly, all three at once, coolers of favourite beverages included.
Jazz In The Garden, in the icy heart of winter? Absolutely. Organiser Reuben Huma is throwing open a heated marquee pitched in the middle of his sprawling suburban garden in Brackenhurst, Alberton, out in the Ekurhuleni metro of Gauteng. Space is intimate by design — no more than 200 patrons will fit under canvas — so this isn’t one to leave for the last minute.
Tickets are R150 a head, and that’s it — nothing extra beyond getting yourself there. Book online or grab one in person at any Pick n Pay store nationwide.
Here’s the sweetener: every patron through the marquee flap will be handed a cup of soup on arrival — a warm welcome drink, absolutely free of charge. It’s the kind of touch that turns a cold Sunday afternoon into something to look forward to.
Snap It, Share It — PiE Digital Joins The Party
There’s a new feature riding along this time too. Jazz In The Garden has teamed up with PiE Digital, meaning you can capture your own pictures and clips at the event and post them on the spot via the PiE Digital website, www.piedigital.africa. Your images can go live on PiE immediately, or whenever you’re ready to share with the wider PiE community.
It couldn’t be simpler: head to the PiE website, find PiE Camera on the navigation bar, and you’re taken straight to a short form. Describe the event, tag the people in your photos and videos if you like, add a line or two of text, upload your files, and hit submit. That’s it — you’re on PiE Camera. All of it, completely free.
As for the music itself — bring your own drinks. Booze, coffee, that flask of warm soup you can’t live without if you would like to add to the free one — none of it will cost you a cent. Just come dressed for the season: overcoats, boots, warm pants, and ideally in theme. This round, the dress code is black and white — sharp, seasonal, and easy on a winter’s night.
Once In A Generation Secrets — And A Tribute
Don’t bother asking Huma who’s behind the decks or what’s on the setlist — he won’t say. “Two things I never share — who is the DJ for the Jazz In The Garden event, and I also don’t share the playlist, because that changes all the time depending on the mood,” he told PiE reporters.
What he will confirm is this: somewhere in the middle of the afternoon, the DJ will carve out fifteen to twenty minutes for a tribute to Abdullah Ibrahim, the towering South African pianist and composer who died in Germany in June 2026 at the age of 91, after a short illness.
For anyone who needs the reminder — Ibrahim, born Adolph Johannes Brand in Cape Town and known for years as Dollar Brand, was the man Nelson Mandela once called South Africa’s own Mozart. His piece “Mannenberg” became an unofficial anthem of the anti-apartheid struggle, and across eight decades he carried Cape jazz from smoky local clubs onto the world’s biggest stages, mentored by Duke Ellington and revered alongside Thelonious Monk as one of the music’s true originals. His passing this winter makes the tribute set feel less like a formality and more like a homecoming — fitting, for a genre he shaped for most of a century.
Three Times A Year, Never The Same Twice
Jazz In The Garden is a fixture in this private garden three times a year — April, July and mid-December — and no two sessions play out alike. Normally it’s a fully open-air affair, patrons scattered across the lawn in their finest, camp chairs and coolers in tow, each edition built around its own theme.
July breaks that mould. “The July event is held in a marquee and patrons do not bring chairs, as these will be provided,” Huma explained. “Food is sold at the event, but patrons can also bring their own snacks, drinks and so on. The marquee takes a maximum of 200, so early booking is essential.”
Good Crowd, Good Vibes
Spend the afternoon in a heated marquee while the DJ works the crowd through the finest jazz has to offer. Jazz In The Garden has always drawn a broad house — seasoned jazz heads rubbing shoulders with young up-and-comers discovering the genre for the first time. Good crowd, good vibes, and now, a soup in hand and a legend’s music in the air. Worth the trip.
Enquiries
For bookings and further information, contact Reuben Huma on 082 976 8481 (also available on WhatsApp) or via email at reubenhuma1608@gmail.com.
