ANNUAL EVENT

Every summer, jazz spreads in every direction across Vancouver neighbourhoods in this popular Vancouver event for music. A saxophone drifts with the breeze through an open-air plaza downtown. A horn section lands its opening note to a packed room on Granville Island. A groove-heavy set spills from a winery patio in Mount Pleasant. The music carries throughout the city and across the Lions Gate Bridge, reaching communities on the North Shore. The whole region transforms into the Vancouver International Jazz Festival's grand stage, and you can experience it two ways.

Go in with a plan and book all the shows you don't want to miss. Festival tickets may sell out for a touring headliner at the Vancouver Playhouse, or intimate spaces with limited seating like 2nd Floor Gastown.

Or play it by ear like a jazz musician does, building on a shared groove and taking it somewhere new, finding inspiration in whoever is playing beside them. Catch a free lunchtime set on the Dunsmuir Patio, follow the crowd to the Georgia Street Stage outside the Vancouver Art Gallery, and let the night end wherever the moment leads you. With so much music happening at once, something's bound to catch your ear.

The Vancouver International Jazz Festival was launched during Expo 86 by the Coastal Jazz & Blues Society with a lineup that included Miles Davis and Bobby McFerrin. It has since grown well beyond its name, showcasing soul, funk, global sounds, and experimental sets alongside straight-ahead jazz.

A genre-defying experience

The Vancouver International Jazz Festival goes beyond tradition, blending funk, global rhythms, improvisation, and unexpected sounds into a constantly evolving art form.

Equal focus on global and local talent

Discover world-renowned artists alongside Vancouver’s brightest musicians, with collaborations, workshops, residencies, and late-night jam sessions.

New works created by Artists in Residence

Be among the first to hear new music created in Vancouver as global artists develop, collaborate, and debut original works during the festival.

The future of jazz

Watch programs with dedicated young and emerging musicians and you might be discovering the festival’s future headliners

Community-driven energy

The festival is about more than music. Picnic with family at outdoor shows. Strike up friendships with strangers you bump into at various venues.

The Vancouver International Jazz Festival takes place in dozens of venues across Vancouver and the North Shore, in settings from historic theatres to parks and a public library.

The main hubs are Granville Island, Downtown, and the North Shore. Browse the Vancouver International Jazz Festival schedule to see who’s playing where.

Granville Island

Ocean Artworks (1531 Johnston Street): An open-air pavilion and one of the festival's main outdoor stages, hosting Pay-What-You-Can and ticketed sets throughout the day and into the evening.

Performance Works (1218 Cartwright Street): A black-box theatre known for the festival's more polished, ticketed programming, including soul, funk, and big band tributes.

Revue Stage (1601 Johnston Street): A theatre space typically used for the festival's more experimental and improvisational jazz programming.

Downtown

šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl'e7énḵ Square (formerly Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza): A free festival venue with two stages hosting back-to-back performances from local youth jazz bands to touring acts.

Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton St): The festival's marquee theatre, hosting major touring headliners and ticketed showcase performances.

Frankie's Jazz Club (755 Beatty St): A staple of the Vancouver jazz scene, with a refined, acoustic-focused room that hosts ticketed shows including headlining acts.

2nd Floor Gastown (300 Water St): An intimate club above Water St. Café in the heart of Gastown, hosting nightly ticketed sets throughout the festival.

North Shore

BlueShore at CapU (2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver): The North Shore's anchor venue for the festival's ticketed North Shore Jazz concerts.

You can buy tickets directly from the official festival site, Coastal Jazz website. Tickets provided through unauthorized third-party sellers are not guaranteed to be valid.

Buy tickets early: Don't miss shows you have your heart set on. Performances with touring international artists or hosted in smaller venues may sell out. Purchasing in advance also allows you to secure your preferred seats in venues with assigned seating.

Consider a multi-show night: Many venues, particularly on Granville Island, schedule sets back-to-back, making it possible to string together two or three shows in one evening without a long gap in between.

Have your scannable code with you: To make your entry as smooth as possible, have your digital ticket code saved on your device or clearly printed before you arrive. Note that email confirmations are not valid for admission.

Check for lower-cost door tickets: Some shows offer a lower-priced ticket sold exclusively at the door, typically starting an hour before showtime. Visit the Festival Calendar to see which performances offer this option.

Look for Pay-What-You-Can shows: Select performances have admission by donation at the door. No one is turned away for lack of funds. Visit the Festival Calendar and use the filter function to show PWYC performances.

Take advantage of free shows: The festival features a wide range of free programming in public settings, showcasing both touring artists and local talent. Visit the Festival Calendar and use the filter function to show free performances.

Bring your community: If you are part of a local not-for-profit or charitable society, you can apply for the festival’s Community Ticketing Program, which provides complimentary tickets for specific performances.

Stay informed: If a show is cancelled or postponed, the festival will contact purchasers via email with refund or exchange procedures. Make sure your contact information is up to date when you purchase.

By car, taxi or rideshare: You can drive to all the festival venues but note that parking is competitive during major events in Vancouver, especially on Granville Island.

By transit: The SkyTrain and bus systems allow you to hop between venues, without the cost and stress of parking. Use the TransLink Planner to map your trip.

By bike: Most festival venues in Vancouver are easily accessible via a network of bike lanes and the Seawall paths. Key events have secured bike valet service. Use Vancouver's interactive cycling map to plan your route.

By water taxi: To get to the Granville Island venues, you can take the False Creek Ferry from Yaletown and the West End, or the Aquabus from downtown and Yaletown. Check their respective sites for schedules and routes.

Accessible arrival: Accessible parking and drop-off areas vary by location.

Paying for parking: Many parking locations throughout Vancouver and North Vancouver accept credit cards and mobile apps rather than cash. Some pay stations may accept debit but this is not guaranteed.

Go with the flow: With hundreds of events, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Don’t feel you have to plan your entire festival experience. Pick your "must-see" ticketed shows and leave plenty of space to play it by ear.

Seek out the hidden gems: Some of the festival’s hidden gems are found in intimate clubs spread across the city. Look for shows at venues like Tyrant Studios to catch visiting artists at spontaneous, late-night open jam sessions.

Elevate your lunch break: Step outside to catch high-quality live music in the middle of a workday. The downtown Bentall Centre patio at 1055 Dunsmuir Street is your go-to spot for that noon-hour entertainment in the sun.

Master Granville Island: An insider move is to spend a full day on Granville Island for Pay-What-You-Can afternoon shows and wrap up your evening with lower-priced performances at Ocean Artworks. In between sets, you can browse the public market and artisan studios.

Get around like a local: With venues spread out in several neighbourhoods, transit is king during the festival. Hop on a bus or the SkyTrain and avoid traffic, construction, and parking headaches. Get a Day Pass to save money. For Granville Island, take a water taxi.

Dress for the day (and night): Vancouver weather can be unpredictable. Wear light layers for afternoon outdoor sets, but keep a sweater or light jacket handy for when the sun goes down and the evening jazz sessions begin.

Go with the flow: With hundreds of events, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Don’t feel you have to plan your entire festival experience. Pick your "must-see" ticketed shows and leave plenty of space to play it by ear.

Seek out the hidden gems: Some of the festival’s hidden gems are found in intimate clubs spread across the city. Look for shows at venues like Tyrant Studios to catch visiting artists at spontaneous, late-night open jam sessions.

Elevate your lunch break: Step outside to catch high-quality live music in the middle of a workday. The downtown Bentall Centre patio at 1055 Dunsmuir Street is your go-to spot for that noon-hour entertainment in the sun.

Master Granville Island: An insider move is to spend a full day on Granville Island for Pay-What-You-Can afternoon shows and wrap up your evening with lower-priced performances at Ocean Artworks. In between sets, you can browse the public market and artisan studios.

Get around like a local: With venues spread out in several neighbourhoods, transit is king during the festival. Hop on a bus or the SkyTrain and avoid traffic, construction, and parking headaches. Get a Day Pass to save money. For Granville Island, take a water taxi.

Dress for the day (and night): Vancouver weather can be unpredictable. Wear light layers for afternoon outdoor sets, but keep a sweater or light jacket handy for when the sun goes down and the evening jazz sessions begin.