Fort Langley Jazz Festival

The Fort Langley Jazz and Arts Festival is a music festival in the summer each year. Some of its events are free and others are ticketed.

This is one of our favourite festivals of the year and highly recommended. In 2024 the festival runs from July 25th to 28th with the amazing Cool Blues Show happening on the 26th. Headliner artists for that include Tom Lavin & the Legendary Powder Blues Band, Silent Partners, Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, and Miss Emily.

NOTE: On May 3rd, 2024, there is a Tribute to Mototown event at Fort Langley Community Hall. It’s a fundraiser that includes a silent auction and dancing. Tickets for it are SOLD OUT! If you missed it, don’t worry. There will be so much awesome Jazz to enjoy at the festival in July! Also important to know, April 30th is the last day to get your early-bird tickets to the festival! Use the promo code Save10 and you’ll save $10 on tickets to the Cool Blues Show!

This article contains the following information about the festival:

The Fort Langley Jazz Festival

In 2024 the Fort Langley Jazz Festival runs from Thursday, July 25th, until Sunday, July 28th. This year’s festival happens in-person with live entertainment. There are indoor and outdoor venues with free and ticketed shows. As many as 20,000 people usually attend.

Click Fort Langley Jazz for the festival’s official website.

Where and When

The Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival takes place in the heart of Fort Langley. This year’s main venue is the Community Hall which is located at 9167 Glover Road.

The community of Fort Langley itself is located on the Fraser River in the northern part of the Township of Langley on the opposite side of the river from Maple Ridge.

The first event taking place in 2024 is the Tribute to Motown and More at the Community Hall. It happens on May 3rd, so a couple of months before the actual festival begins. It’s an early fundraiser that helps support the rest of the festival in the summer.

The Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival in 2024 runs from July 25th to 28th. On the first day, there’s the Cool Blues Show at Fort Langley Community Park. It’s a ticketed event with live music, food trucks, a beer garden and more.

The festival once again has free live music outdoors throughout the weekend. There are two stages in front of the Community Hall, in addition to vendors and other activities nearby.

Fort Langley Jazz with Christine Jensen

Tickets and Festival Details

Below is information about some of the main ticketed events taking place in 2024.

Tribute to Motown and More

In 2024 the Tribute to Motown and More event happens at the Fort Langley Community Hall on Friday, May 3rd. The event runs from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm and features a silent auction and live music by Big City Soul. All proceeds from the auction help support the festival. Admission to the event costs about $35 per person.

For more information, visit the Fort Langley Jazz Festival website.

A Tribute to Duke Ellington

On Thursday, July 25th in 2024, there’s another ticketed concert at the Fort Langley Community Hall. It takes place in the venue’s ballroom from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The show is a tribute to the legendary Duke Ellington. Music is performed by the Fred Stride Jazz Orchestra and tickets cost $25 per person.

To learn more about the event, see the Fort Langley Jazz Festival website.

Members of the Fort Langley RazzMaJazz Ensemble

Cool Blues Show

There are also ticketed concerts at the Fort Langley Community Park, located at 9089 Nash Street. It’s just a block or two from the Fort Langley Cemetery and St. Andrew’s Church.

Last year, the Cool Blues Show happened over two days. In 2024 it’s just a one-day event on Friday, July 26th. At the park are back-to-back concerts with Blues & Roots music. There are also food trucks, a beer garden and an artisan market.

Headlining acts in 2024 include Rick Estrin and The Nightcats, Tom Lavin and the Legendary Powder Blues Band, Miss Emily, Silent Partners, and Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne.

Admission to the Cool Blues Show costs $60 for adults (ages 19+) and $30 for youth. Kids ages 12 and under enter for free when attending with a paying adult.

For more details, see the official Cool Blues Show page.

Jake and Elwood’s Blues Brothers Revue

One more ticketed event is for fans of the Blues Brothers. It’s a night of dancing and live music by Jake and Elwood’s Blues Brothers Revue. The tribute concert takes place from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm on Saturday, July 27th, 2024. It’s held in the ballroom of the Fort Langley Community Hall. Tickets cost about $40 each.

To learn more about the event, visit the Fort Langley Jazz Festival website.

Other Events

In 2024 there’s also the Youth Concert Series Showcase leading up to the festival. It runs on Sundays between May 26th and July 14th outside the Fort Langley CNR Station.

On the weekend of the festival, there are two stages with free live music outside the Fort Langley Community Hall. Across the street, there’s also an Art Market featuring beautiful art to see and buy. The Kidz Zone along Mary Street offers activities for young people interested in art and music. Workshops running throughout the weekend cover topics such as painting, instrumentation, culture and more.

Click Fort Langley Jazz for the festival’s official website.

Jazz Festival Crowds in Fort Langley

2024 Free Concerts

There are free outdoor performances in front of the Fort Langley Community Hall.

There are two stages at the 2024 event. The Conwest Main Stage features the headlining acts of the free festival. In between those performances, there are also young and Indigenous artists performing on the Rising Spirit Stage. Schedules for both stages are below.

Conwest Main Stage Schedule

Saturday, July 27th, 2024

10:30 am – Wild River Singers and Dancers
11:00 am – Ensemble Gergana
12:15 pm – Hutchinson Andrew Trio (HAT)
1:30 pm – Dánae Olano
3:00 pm – Dino and The Sound of Soul

Sunday, July 28th, 2024

10:30 am – Wild River Singers and Dancers
11:00 am – Maureen Washington Quartet
12:30 pm – South Van Big Band
1:45 pm – John Korsrud
3:00 pm – Wild Blue Herons with Horns

Jazz Musicians Outside Fort Langley Train Station — Mardi Gras Parade Outside the Station Museum

Rising Spirit Stage Schedule

Saturday, July 27th, 2024

11:45 am – Secondary School Rising Jazz Star Winner (TBD)
1:00 pm – Norine Braun
2:15 pm – Hayley Wallis

Sunday, July 28th, 2024

12:00 pm – Post-Secondary Rising Jazz Star Winner (TBD)
1:15 pm – James Vickers Band
2:30 pm – Pat Calihou

In addition to the above, there’s also the Mardi Gras Strolling Parade on the Saturday, from 9:30 am until 10:00 am. It goes from the site of the Fort Langley Farmers Market at St. Andrew’s United Church and makes its way down Glover Road to Community Hall. Participating in the parade in 2024 is the RazzMaJazz Ensemble.

Closing the festival is the Jazz AWE Concert at the United Churches of Langley at 9025 Glover Road. The event features live music mixed with a Sunday church experience. It begins at 4:30 pm on Sunday, July 28th, with performances by the Maureen Washington Quartet. This event isn’t free, but tickets are available by donation.

Noxious Obs Society Band at Fort Langley Station — Noxious Obs Society at the CNR Station

Click Fort Langley Jazz for the festival’s official website.

History of the Jazz Festival

The Fort Langley Jazz Festival is a fabulous event! It’s fun, family-friendly and affordable, and it takes place in a beautiful setting. It also features amazing Jazz musicians and concerts.

Since its beginning in 2018, the festival took place as a live event in its first two years and then as a primarily virtual event in 2020. In 2021 it ran as a hybrid festival with a mix of pre-recorded, live-streamed and in-person concerts and events. Since 2022, the festival has been back with lots of in-person activities each year.

Click Fort Langley Jazz for the festival’s official website.

Jazz Festival Video

To give you an idea of what to expect, check out the following video that features the sights and sounds of the festival from a past year. As you’ll see, there is lots of live music as well as art displays and food to enjoy.

Featured in the video are Mike Vaneyes (in the distance), Blues Hoodoo, the local Rotary Club (at the pancake breakfast), and the Conga Cartel.

Tips & Advice

Below are some tips and suggestions to help you make the most of your Fort Langley Jazz Festival experience.

TIP #1: You can park for free on various streets in the town of Fort Langley. Go early though to improve your chances of finding a spot that doesn’t require you to walk too far. Parking is also available at 8870 Glover Road (in the parking lot of the Fort Langley Evangelical Free Church) and at 9095 Glover Road (at Living Waters Church).

TIP #2: Take your own blanket or chair to sit on.

TIP #3: If it’s a sunny day, don’t forget to take a hat and sunscreen. Bottled water is a good idea too.

TIP #4: Don’t spend all your time by the main stages in front of the Community Hall. Walk around and explore the area and all the activities on offer.

TIP #5: So long as they’re on a leash, dogs are permitted at the festival. You are also welcome to bring your own food. There are food trucks though, so you can buy your meals and snacks on-site or around town too.

TIP #6: The festival venue is a smoke-free environment. That extends to vaping as well as other products recently legalized in Canada.