On Sunday 21st June 2026, Rufus Court, in partnership with Alexander’s Live!, will be hosting Solstice Festival, a free family-friendly day of live music and festivities to celebrate its 35th anniversary.

The festival will be headlined by Gilad Atzmon’s jazz organ trio Organology, featuring Ross Stanley and Joel Barford. Having played two sell-out nights at Ronnie Scott’s earlier this year, Organology pays great respect to the jazz tradition but is also fresh, innovative, revolutionary and young in spirit.

Gilad Atzmon, who has been considered one of the best woodwind players in the world and was the last Saxophonist to record with Pink Floyd, has been a regular performer at Alexander’s over it’s 35 year history and will be returning to the UK specially to mark this historic occasion.

Another highlight of the event will be The Stumble, a six-piece blues, soul and oldschool R&B band, born out of the new wave blues boom in Glasgow in the 80s and 90s. Perhaps their highest accolade is from blues legend Leslie “Lazy Lester” Johnson, who has been quoted as saying “Man, this band’s so good I wanna take ‘em over to
America with me”.

Also performing will be Bossa Dos Patos, a Manchester-based band inspired by the rich and vibrant sounds of Brazilian music from the 60s. Purveyors of high quality blues and R&B Dr T-Bone; folk singer-songwriter Ashley Fayth; and community ukulele group Northwich Uke Club complete the line-up.
The day will also feature an interactive art installation designed by local artist Russell Kirk, alongside other activities including face painting and garden games.

The festival marks 35 years to the day that Rufus Court was first opened to the public by Bob Monkhouse in 1991. Originally the vision of Rod Cox, who designed and built the Civic Trust Award-winning courtyard together with his business partner Pauline Thompson, in what was then an area of derelict and dilapidated buildings behind
Northgate Street in Chester.

The programme of restoration and redevelopment started 50 years ago in 1976, when the Thompson Cox Partnership opened a gift shop on the City Walls, in what is now Books on the Walls. Seven years later, in 1983 they had secured permission to restore the rest of the grade II-listed City Walls building and convert it into shops, workshops and flats.

By 1991 the construction of Rufus Court was complete, blending the old and new buildings to create the vibrant hub of independent shops, restaurants and live entertainment that it continues to be today.

The Solstice Festival is being run is partnership with Alexander’s Live!, which will also be celebrating 35 years on the same day. Originally based on a jazz cabaret or blues cellar bar in the American south, Alexander’s has hosted music greats such as Ronnie Scott, George Melly, Georgie Fame, The Animals, The Yardbirds, Pentangle and John
Redbourne.

A spokeseperson for Rufus Court said:
“We are excited to be hosting this event celebrating the rich history of Rufus Court and the work of Rod Cox and Pauline Thompson over the past 35 years. We are pleased to be able to continue the traditions of live music and independent trading in Chester City Centre, and look forward to the next 35 years and what the future will bring.”