Vancouver International Jazz Festival
The Vancouver International Jazz Festival is British Columbia's largest jazz event, presented by the non-profit Coastal Jazz and Blues Society at the end of June. Coastal Jazz also programmes concerts across the rest of the year.
- City
- Vancouver
- Where
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- When
- Late June to early July
- Since
- 1986
The organisation grew out of a jazz scene centred on Vancouver Co-op Radio in the early 1980s. The Pacific Jazz and Blues Association was formed in 1984 and staged a first festival in 1985; the group renamed itself the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society, incorporated in 1986, and partnered with Expo 86 to produce the first Vancouver International Jazz Festival that year.
The festival spreads across venues on both sides of False Creek and downtown, including Ocean Artworks on Granville Island, the Chan Shun Concert Hall, St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church and the Hollywood Theatre, and combines free outdoor stages with ticketed concerts. Coastal Jazz describes itself as one of BC's largest not-for-profit music presenters, and it keeps a year-round series running: its autumn 2026 calendar included Ravi Coltrane, Branford Marsalis with Dianne Reeves, and The Bad Plus.
No shows in our listings yet
We don't have any Vancouver Jazz Festival shows in our listings yet (its program is usually announced shortly before each edition). In the meantime, explore all our live jazz shows.
Where to stay for Vancouver Jazz Festival
Hotels and apartments around Vancouver. Prices shown are for one night; you can widen the dates on the map.
Frequently asked questions
- When does Vancouver Jazz Festival take place?
- Vancouver Jazz Festival takes place in Vancouver in late june to early july, and has been running since 1986. The exact dates for each edition can vary, so it's worth confirming them on the official website.
- Where is Vancouver Jazz Festival held?
- It takes place in Vancouver (Vancouver, British Columbia).
- How do I follow the program and get tickets?
- At Jazz Live Canada we publish its shows in our Calendar listings as they are confirmed, and for the full line-up and tickets you can check the festival's official website. If you join Jazz Live Canada, we'll let you know when the line-up is announced.
The exact dates for each edition can vary. Check the festival's official website to confirm the line-up and tickets.