“We’re Quite Cultured Now” - Empty Nesters Declare Annual Cronulla Jazz and Blues Festival Visit Makes Them Local Arts Patrons

Imogen Fairchild | Arts & Culture Editor | Sutherland Shire Gazette

30 May 2025

CRONULLA -  The Cronulla Jazz & Blues Festival is back for 2025 and swinging harder than a double bass solo at dusk, with more than 100 artists, food trucks, pop-ups, and toe-tapping action across five soulful days.

Among the thousands flocking to Cronulla Mall and surrounds this week are Bob and Cheryl from Caringbah South - self-proclaimed “jazz aficionados” who, according to friends, discovered saxophones just three years ago.

“We make a whole weekend of it,” says Cheryl, sipping from a biodegradable cup of turmeric chai while seated on a portable camp chair she bought specifically for this event. “We don’t normally eat out, but last year Bob had something called a bao bun. It changed him.”

Sources confirm Bob was later overheard calling pulled pork “a bit jazzy.”

The couple are now deep into the culture scene, attending this festival annually and quoting the word “fusion” confidently at local dinner parties. Bob has even purchased a trilby hat for the occasion, which he says makes him feel “equal parts Sinatra and Bublé.” He’s particularly excited about the Record Fair in Gunnamatta Park on Saturday, where he plans to “browse vinyl with intent.”

“It’s like New Orleans, but with more dogs in prams,” Bob said, nodding rhythmically to a band called Funky Nostril Experience.

Organisers say the 2025 program is their biggest yet, with dozens of local and international acts lighting up venues from Cronulla Plaza to the beach stage. Entry is free, vibes are high, and yes - the food truck line-up is once again dangerously more experimental than anything Bob and Cheryl have ever attempted at home.

“We’re really cultured now,” says Cheryl, proudly waving a compostable fork and gazing toward the smooth sounds of a 12-piece brass ensemble. “We used to go to Westfield.”

Our picks? Local beers from Sunday Road Brewing and doggy snacks by Tasty Wiener Treats. Because why should your cockapoo miss out on the culture?

The Cronulla Jazz & Blues Festival runs through Sunday. Go for the music. Stay for the people-watching. And maybe… the trilby.