Jazz Royalty Set to Wow Vancouver
Celebrate 40 years of jazz in Vancouver with global icons like Richard Bona, Bill Frisell, and Nubya Garcia. June 20–29, 2025. Free & ticketed shows.
Vancouver Jazz Festival
By Elke Porter | WBN News Vancouver | June 6, 2025
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The highly anticipated 40th annual Vancouver International Jazz Festival is set to electrify the city from June 20 to 29, celebrating four decades of outstanding music, culture, and community connection.
This year’s marquee lineup includes an impressive roster of jazz icons:
- Richard Bona Asante Trio, Grammy‑winning bassist and vocalist, brings his blend of West African, Latin, and jazz grooves in a special ticketed concert on June 23 at the Vancouver Playhouse.
- Bill Frisell Trio, the legendary guitarist known for his genre‐bending improvisations, appears on the bill in a must‑see performance.
- Rising star Marquis Hill, a trumpeter celebrated for his modern jazz vision, will also grace the festival stage.
- Nubya Garcia, the London‑based saxophonist and leading figure in contemporary jazz, brings her soulful energy to Granville Island on June 28.
- The genre‑defying Kassa Overall, known for fusing rap, jazz, and experimental sounds, performs during the free Downtown Jazz series on June 22–23.
The Downtown Jazz series – open to all – returns to the plazas outside the Vancouver Art Gallery on June 22 and 23, featuring 20 free performances per day. Highlights include Odario, Parlour Panther, Itamar Erez Quartet, and festival favorite Peggy Lee Band.
Another new addition: Bentall Centre’s Dunsmuir Patio Happy Hours, running June 23–27 from 4–6 pm, offer daily live sets by Jonny Tobin, Colin Sankey Band, Kristin Fung, and more, complete with a licensed bar vibe.
Festival Essentials
📅 Dates: June 20 – 29, 2025
📍 Venues: Spread across Vancouver—from Granville Island and Fortune Sound Club to Vancouver Playhouse and the heart of downtown
🎟️ Tickets: Available online and at the box office; free outdoor events are open to all coastaljazz.ca
👉 Info & Tickets: Visit the official Coastal Jazz & Blues Society site here to explore the full schedule, buy passes, and dive into workshops, masterclasses, and family‑friendly programming.
Our big and beautiful 40th anniversary guidebooks are in! 🎉 They contain everything you need to know about the Festival including daily schedules, artist bios, maps, and even a tribute to the last 40 years. And since they are the size of a small magazine, this year we have added a more compact version that we are calling the pocket guide.
Our handy pocket guide keeps you in the know on every show from morning to late, late nights–so you can always know what’s happening at Jazz Fest, wherever you are. The 40th anniversary guidebooks are only available at JJ Beans and libraries around Vancouver, while pocket guides are all over town.
Whether you’re drawn to Grammy‑winning headliners or spontaneous street jams, this year’s festival promises a rich celebration of jazz past, present, and future.
#Vancouver Jazz Festival #Live Jazz BC #Jazz In Vancouver #Coastal Jazz 2025 #Jazz Legends Live #Summer In The City #WBN News Vancouver #Elke Porter
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