IronFest is an annual two-day jazz series event in the fall at The Ironworks in downtown Vancouver. It features great music at a terrific venue.
IronFest is put on by Coastal Jazz and presented in association with the DTES Heart of the City Festival. Coastal Jazz is the organization behind the Vancouver International Jazz Festival which takes place in early summer. The DTES Heart of the City Festival, meanwhile, happens in autumn.
For full details about the events that happened last year either visit the November 1st IronFest or November 2nd IronFest pages on Coastal Jazz’s website or continue reading. The event schedule for 2025 is to be confirmed.
Vancouver’s IronFest Jazz Series
IronFest features two or three days of music that can sometimes be experimental and/or improvised. The annual jazz music concert series happens at The Ironworks in Vancouver.
2025 is the sixth edition of IronFest. The shows last year took place on November 1st and 2nd.
The Heart of the City Festival ran from October 30th to November 10th in 2024, so at the same time as IronFest. It’s a cultural arts festival with over 100 events that span music, dance, film, theatre, visual arts and more. All of its events happen in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
If you plan to go to one or both of the IronFest shows, why not go downtown early and see what’s going on that day at the festival too? Visit the Heart of the City Festival website for the schedule of events.
Where and When
IronFest happens at The Ironworks which is a popular performance venue at 235 Alexander Street in Vancouver. The building has a seating capacity of 200 and is used by many other events including the Vancouver International Jazz Festival.
Last year there were two nights of IronFest shows. They were on Friday, November 1st, and Saturday, November 2nd. Both concerts began at 8:30 pm.
Tickets cost $35 for each show or $60 for both (not including taxes and fees). The event is for those who are ages 19 and up.
Dates, times and ticket prices for 2025’s event are to be confirmed.
The 2024 IronFest Lineup
There are typically either two or three shows each year for IronFest. There were two concerts at last year’s event. Both of them featured a double bill of performances.
Friday, November 1st, 2024
Taking the stage first to kick off IronFest was the Asrar Quartet, an Iranian folk and classical music group. “Asrar” means “mystery” in Persian, and their music often includes ancient poetry set to modern instrumentals.
Following them was the Jessica Ackerley Trio. Ackerley is a prolific guitarist and composer who has released over 12 albums and toured across the country. She was joined by Walter Stinson on bass and Aaron Edgcomb on drums.
Click November 1st IronFest for full details.
Saturday, November 2nd, 2024
Kevin Romain performed on the second night of the festival with his ensemble Salience Network. The group’s debut album, released in 2023, includes plenty of trumpet and saxophone in a modern, powerful jazz lineup.
Afterwards, the Toronto-based Brodie West Quintet took to the stage. The saxophone-led ensemble played up-tempo and partially-improvised music when they stepped in front of an audience.
Click November 2nd IronFest for full details about this event.
Other Information
Visit the Coastal Jazz website for more information about IronFest.
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
- Vancouver International Jazz Festival
- Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival
- Fort Langley Jazz and Arts Festival
- Vancouver Shows and Entertainment
- Jazz Vespers in Metro Vancouver
