Vancouver Jazz International Festival

The Vancouver International Jazz Festival is BC’s largest music festival. It attracts hundreds of artists and over 100,000 Jazz enthusiasts.

In 2026 the festival celebrates its 41st anniversary from June 19th to July 5th. It’s a fantastic event that draws musicians and Jazz fans from around the world.

See the Coastal Jazz website for full details about this festival.

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Vancouver Jazz Festival

The Vancouver International Jazz Festival has been running since 1986. There are usually over 180 events across a couple of weeks. See our article about Jazz Festival Concert Venues for a list of places you can see the performances.

The Vancouver International Jazz Festival takes place from June 19th to July 5th in 2026 (which includes the Canada Day Long Weekend).

A hub of the festival is Granville Island, where there are lots of ticketed and free shows at the Revue Stage, Performance Works and Ocean Artworks. There are also shows at other venues around Vancouver, including at the Vancouver Playhouse and Hollywood Theatre.

Other venues are normally clubs and restaurants as well as theatres, public plazas and parks in Vancouver and on the North Shore. There are lots of free outdoor concerts every year. There are absolutely amazing ticketed indoor ones too. At this festival, you’ll see and hear some of the best of the best.

TIP: The free concerts at the festival are awesome. If you like Jazz, though, you’ll also want to check out the ticketed events. Some pretty amazing musicians play and are worth paying to see. See our article about Vancouver Jazz Festival Ticketed Concerts for a list of ticketed events.

Ticketed Jazz Festival Concerts

In 2026 one of the featured events is with the Tomoki Sanders Quartet and Todd Stewart Trio. Presented in association with the Queer Arts Festival, this performance takes place on June 25th at The Birdhouse in Vancouver. Tickets cost about $38 per person and the show begins at 8:00 pm.

Another headliner this year is The Ex with Grdina/Lillinger. Their show runs at 7:00 pm on June 26th at the Hollywood Theatre. Each ticket costs about $45. There’s also Keyon Harrold “Foreverland and Songs For Miles” at the Vancouver Playhouse on June 30th. That show kicks off at 7:30 pm and admission ranges from $55 to $65.

Artists and bands playing ticketed shows at Performance Works on Granville Island include Voodoo: The Music of D’Angelo on July 1st and MA:Q & Sharon Minemoto Quartet on July 2nd. There’s a Cellar Live 25th Anniversary show on July 3rd featuring Cory Weeds Little Big Band, Jerry Weldon, and the Noah Franche-Nolan Trio. Haleluya Hailu performs on July 4th, followed by the Stranger Friends Orchestra and Fredrik Ljungkvist on July 5th.

See our list of Vancouver Jazz Festival Ticketed Concerts to find out who’s playing where, or visit the official coastaljazz.ca website.

See the Coastal Jazz website for full details about this festival.

Empanadas Ilegales (Photo by Jorge Posada)

Free Jazz Concerts

In addition to the Jazz performances at bars, restaurants, and nightclubs throughout Metro Vancouver, there are also free concerts. The 2025 festival featured about 50 free shows. Some took place outside the Vancouver Art Gallery, on Granville Island, in Gastown and at other venues (including in North Vancouver). 2026 details will likely be similar.

See our articles about the Free Jazz Concerts Line-up for a list of free concerts.

JAZZ FESTIVAL IN FORT LANGELY

The Vancouver International Jazz Festival isn’t the only festival of its kind in the Lower Mainland. The Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival is another exceptional event, although much smaller. The Fort Langley festival features both ticketed and free concerts as well as public art displays. It happens from July 23rd to 26th in 2026. Check it out too.

If you like Jazz, you’ll want to attend both of these festivals. They are amazing.

About Coastal Jazz

The Coastal Jazz & Blues Society is the organization behind the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. The non-profit has been operating since 1985. Today, the organization is the biggest not-for-profit music presenter in British Columbia. The Vancouver International Jazz Festival, meanwhile, is one of the largest and most prestigious events of its kind in North America.

Fun Trivia Fact: The Vancouver International Jazz Festival was originally called the Pacific Jazz & Blues Festival.

50/50 Raffle

Coastal Jazz hosted a raffle fundraiser throughout the 2025 festival. It was a 50/50 draw with half of the proceeds going to one lucky winner, and the other half supporting all the free shows put on by Coastal Jazz.

Tickets were available in packages. In 2025 three tickets cost $10, 10 tickets cost $20, 40 tickets cost $40, and 200 tickets cost $100. Sales ended on July 4th, and the draw took place the next day. The draw will likely take place again in 2026.

Click 50/50 Draw for more information about the raffle.

See the Coastal Jazz website for full details about this festival.

Other Free Summer Music Venues

If you like outdoor live bands, other venues offering various genres of music at different times in the summer include the following:

Friday evenings with music and other entertainment in July and August at North Vancouver’s Civic Plaza, Lynn Valley Village and Parkgate Plaza as part of that city’s Summer Concert Series.
Friday evenings from early May until late September at the Shipyard Night Market in North Vancouver.
Nightly in late August and early September at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE).
Click Free Summer Concerts for a list of even more free music venues in July and August.

Coastal Jazz also hosts other concerts and live music events throughout the year, including the Iron Fest series at The Ironworks in Vancouver. See the Coastal Jazz website for a list of what’s coming up.