Free and Pay What You Can Vancouver Jazz Festival Shows

The Vancouver International Jazz Festival is hosting a lineup of over 30 free and Pay What You Can (PWYC) shows this summer from June 19 to July 5, 2026 at venues across Vancouver and the North Shore.

Free Vancouver Jazz Festival Shows

Free programming includes: Downtown Jazz Weekend, the Dunsmuir Patio at Bentall Centre; and a full day of PWYC concerts on July 1 at Ocean Artworks on Granville Island. All PWYC shows have tickets available at the door. No one will be turned away for lack of funds at PWYC shows.

Free Downtown Jazz Weekend

• Where: šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square, North Plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery
• When: June 27 and 28, from 1:00pm to 10:00pm
• Details: Two stages, food trucks, vendors and a licensed beer garden.
  • Saturday, June 27
    • The Georgia Street Stage
    • Ruthie Ha Big Band (1:30pm), DJ GUACHIIIN (DJ between sets 2:30pm – 8:30pm), Bonnie Northgraves and the Big Loud (3:15pm), ADHD (4:45pm), The Rumble featuring Big Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. (6:30pm), and Leenalchi (8:30pm)
    • Sounds of Youth Stage – Presented by Tom Lee Music
    • Burnett Senior Jazz Ensemble (1:00pm), Sarah McLachlan School of Music Jazz Combo (2:15pm), VSO School of Music Jazz Combo (3:30pm), Wellington Multi School Jazz Combo (4:45pm), and Capilano University Jazz Combo (6:00pm)
  • Sunday, June 28
    • The Georgia Street Stage
    • Mike WT Allen’s Space Elevator (1:30pm), Lovely Dae (DJ between sets 2:30pm – 8:30pm), Missy D (3:15pm), Julian Borkowski Quintet (4:45pm), Étran de L’Air (6:30pm), and GeminiCrab – Malika Tirolien + Caulder Nash (8:30pm)
    • Sounds of Youth Stage – Presented by Tom Lee Music
    • Holy Cross Senior Jazz Ensemble (1pm), Gladstone Senior Jazz Ensemble (2:15pm), Magee Senior Jazz Ensemble (3:30pm), McNair Senior Jazz Ensemble (4:45pm), and Semiahmoo Jazz Mailers (6:00pm).

Bentall Centre Patio Series

• Where: Dunsmuir Patio at Bentall Centre (105 Dunsmuir St, Vancouver)
• When: June 26, June 29, June 30, July 2, and July 3
• Details: Free lunchtime performances include William Chernoff’s Western Red Cedar (June 26 at 12:00pm) Clara Lin Trio (June 29 at 12:00pm), My Sister Maria (June 30 at 12:00pm), Ben Frost Quartet (July 2 at 12:00pm, and ISBN (July 3 at 1:00pm).

Public Workshops – Tom Lee Music Hall Workshops

• Where: Tom Lee Music Hall (728 Granville St, Vancouver)
• When: June 29 to July 3 at 1:00pm
• Details: Workshops include Dabin Ryu (June 29), Rhythm Changes Podcast Live featuring Artists in Residence: Wendy Eisenberg (June 30), Madeleine Elkins (July 1), and Caley Watts (July 3).

Granville Island Pay What You Can (PWYC) Shows

Free and PWYC programming running daily from July 1 to July 5, with additional shows June 26 to June 28 at Ocean Artworks. Programming includes afternoon PWYC shows at Performance Works (1:30pm), Zameen Art House (2:30pm), and Ocean Artworks (4:00pm), early evening PWYC shows at the Revue Stage (5:00pm), and late PWYC shows at Ocean Artworks (10:30pm) and Revue Stage (11:30pm on July 3 and 4).

Ocean Artworks PWYC Shows

• Where: 1531 Johnson St, Vancouver
• Details: PWYC shows include James Vickers Band (June 27 at 4:00pm), Erin Propp (June 28 at 4:00pm), Erika Chow’s General Assembly (July 2 at 4:00pm), Malleus Trio with Cuong Vu (July 3 at 4:00pm), Sofia Avelino: Como Nossos Pais (July 4 at 4:00pm), and Woodland Critter Quartet (July 5 at 4:00pm).
  • Canada Day shows on July 1 feature a full day of PWYC programming with Company B Jazz Band (12:00pm), Ard ‘n Saul (2:45pm), Dave Sikula Trio featuring Sean Cronin and Dan Gaucher (5:30pm), and Robin Layne & the Rhythm Makers featuring Kia Kadiri and Yoro Noukoussi (8:15pm).
  • 5 Nights in Paradise DJ sets include Dane (June 26 at 10:30pm), Special Surprise Guest DJ (June 27 at 10:30pm), Pacific Rhythm (July 3 at 10:30pm), Prado Monroe & ZDBT (July 4 at 10:30pm) and Kozue (July 5 at 10:30pm).

Zameen Art House – Song Form // Less: Series

• Where: 1515 Anderson Street, Vancouver
• Details: PWYC solo sets followed by duo collaborations and artist talks about form in music, running daily July 1 to July 5 at 2:30pm. Performances include Caley Watts and Kevin Romain (July 1), Wendy Eisenberg and Lisa Cay Miller (July 2), Steve Gunn and Karen Ng (July 3), Sean Cronin and Patrick Shiroishi (July 4), and Amina Claudine Myers and Peggy Lee (July 5). Presented in association with IICSI at the University of British Columbia.

Performance Works PWYC Afternoon and Early Evening Shows

• Where: 1218 Cartwright Street, Vancouver
• Details: PWYC afternoon shows running daily July 1 to July 5 at 1:30pm include David Blake NYC Quartet (July 1), Jillian Lebeck’s Starlight (July 2), Brad Turner Quartet (July 3), The Offering of Curtis Andrews (July 4), and Vancouver Youth Jazz Orchestra (July 5)

Revue Stage PWYC Early Evening and Late Night Shows

• Where: 1601 Johnston Street, Vancouver
• Details: PWYC early evening shows running daily July 1 to July 5 at 5pm include Immix with Dream, Baby, Dream short film screening (July 1), Steve Gunn “Music for Writers” (July 2), Tony Wilson: Flowers for Albert (July 3), Spirits Rejoice: The Music of Louis Moholo-Moholo (July 4), and Ben Brown & Stefan Christoff (July 5)
• PWYC late-night shows: Time Flies (July 3) and Improv Karaoke (July 4) at 11:30pm

Founded in 1985 and incorporated in 1986 as the Coastal Jazz & Blues Society, Coastal Jazz is a community-based, not-for-profit, charitable arts organization that has worked diligently to establish Vancouver as a centre for the creation and exchange of sounds and ideas among local, national, and international music communities. Coastal Jazz produces the annual Vancouver International Jazz Festival, celebrating its 40th edition in 2025. Follow Coastal Jazz on Instagram for updates.

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