Free Vancouver International Jazz Festival Shows This Summer
byThere’s a lineup of free programming available during the Vancouver International Jazz Festival this summer that includes 20 Downtown Jazz shows outside the Vancouver Art Gallery in the šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square, and 25 shows over the Canada Day weekend on at Jazz Around Town on Granville Island.
Free Vancouver International Jazz Festival Shows
View the full schedule of free events here »
Vancouver Art Gallery and šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square
- Where: 750 Hornby St in front of the Art Gallery
- When: Free shows begin at 12:00pm with the last performance at 7:30pm, Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25
- Show Details: Free West Georgia Street stage performances by: Cimafunk, Lido Pimienta, Jesse James Bonanza, Mali Obomsawin Quartet, Brekky Boy, STORRY, Dean Thiessen’s Stranger Friends Orchestra, Robin Layne & the Rhythm Makers, History of Gunpowder, Witch Prophet
Jazz Around Town on Granville Island
Sponsored in part by CMHC Granville Island and part of the Granville Island Jazz series.
Ocean Artworks
- Where: 1531 Johnston Street, Granville Island
- When: Free shows June 23 to July 2; Free Late Night Jams and DJs from 10:30pm til late, June 30 to July 2, 2023
- Show Details: Free performances by The Fits + Hayley Wallis and The Bright Futures, See You Now, Will Clements COMPASS, Le Kors, William Chernoff Trio, Tom Wherrett Group, Rush Hour, Laura Crema & Bill Coon StringSongs, Aline’s étoile magique
- Free Late Night Jams kick off with the host’s performance before opening the stage up to visiting artists and local players. Opening weekend hosts include Feven Kidane Quartet (June 23), Tony Wilson with Mali Obomsawin and Konrad Agnas (June 24) and Mili Hong Trio (June 25)
- Free Late Night DJ sets on closing weekend include D V D’s maximum pop euphoria/hard dance music (June 30), the Soca, dancehall, Afrobeat and hip-hop selections of DJ Nea Stone Fox (July 1), and Yu Su’s dreamily melodic and balmy take on lo-fi house (July 2)
Performance Works
- Where: 1218 Cartwright, Granville Island
- When: Free shows run 2:00 to 4:00pm, June 28 to July 2, 2023
- Show Details: Free performances by: Joe Rainey & String Quartet, David Blake’s Fun House, Caity Gyorgy, Chris Gestrin Trio, High School Jazz Intensive
Innovation Series at Revue Stage
- Where: 1601 Johnston Street, Granville Island, Vancouver
- When: Free shows at 5:00pm, June 28 to July 2, 2023
- Show Details: Free performances by: Bruce Freedman’s COLLAGE, Jessica Ackerley + KneeJerk, Ron Samworth’s Etiquette of Dying, Matthew Ariaratnam & Adrian Avendaño, Giorgio Magnanensi & Andromeda Monk, Marina Hasselberg + Matt Choboter
The 38th edition of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival will offer 140 shows, including more than 50 free performances from June 23 to July 2, 2023. The Festival also includes marquee shows at Queen Elizabeth Theatre and Vancouver Playhouse, plus club shows at various downtown venues.
Coastal Jazz Emcee Competition
New faces join the Festival’s established roster of emcees with the Coastal Jazz Emcee Competition. Three winners will be selected to emcee free shows at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Each winner receives a $250 cash prize, tickets to attend the Jazz Festival and Festival swag. Participants are invited to submit an audition video sharing why they would make a great emcee. The deadline for entry is May 5, 2023. Entry information found here and auditions are now open!
Follow the Vancouver International Jazz Festival on Facebook for all the latest show info.
Related: Cheap things to do around Metro Vancouver this spring & summer
