Tauranga music lovers will once again have the chance to tune their hearing to the sound of jazz, with the return of the longest-running jazz festival in the Southern Hemisphere.

The 52nd National Jazz Festival will boast five days of jazz in many forms during Easter's long weekend (April 17-21), with ticketed concerts, a family-friendly Jazz Village, and a free two-day Downtown Carnival event at the Tauranga waterfront.

The Jazz Festival is coming back to Tauranga this Easter.

Highlights of this year's festival include US-based Jackie Ryan, Kiwi blues legend Midge Marsden, Japanese jazz-punk flautist Miho Wada, Australian multi-instrumentalist Adam Page, jazz violinist George Washingmachine and singer and actor Liz Kirkman.

Festival director Becks Chambers says some of the world's best jazz will be right on Tauranga's doorstep, ensuring one of the biggest festivals to date.

'Jazz lovers can expect top international talent to visit Tauranga for the five-day event.

'We are expecting a crowd of over 60,000 people to attend. It is definitely going to be the place to be this Easter.”

Tickets are available at www.ticketek.co.nz