What to expect at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal

Held annually in downtown Montréal, FIJM attracts close to 2.5 million visitors – putting it just below Vienna’s Donauinselfest as the second biggest festival in the world – with a mix of ticketed indoor concerts and massive free outdoor shows. While jazz remains at the core of the festival’s impeccable curation, its programming has expanded to include blues, soul, funk, hip hop and world music, broadening its appeal beyond traditional jazz audiences.

Before the festival, Montréal’s jazz roots were already well established, dating back to the early years of the 20th century and the Little Burgundy neighbourhood, which became famous for producing the likes of Oscar Peterson and Oliver Jones. During prohibition, the area’s vibrant nightlife birthed clubs such as Rockhead's Paradise, where Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway and Billie Holiday all played; and The Black Bottom, a favourite of Miles Davis and John Coltrane.

The festival’s origins can be traced back to a small series of concerts organised by Alain Simard and a team of local music enthusiasts. Simard wanted bring a Woodstock-like festival to Montreal that would unite everyone via the power of music and promote cultural diversity, artistic excellence, and the spirit of inclusivity. Ray Charles and Chick Corea played in that first year and by the late 80s, the FIJM had gained international recognition, with landmark performances from Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie.

The festival now features over 600 concerts from around 3000 artists spread across 10 days, with performances held in the city’s grand theatres, smokey jazz clubs, and open-air stages in the Quartier des Spectacles. The musical DNA of the FIJM has evolved over the year but, as the festival's Director of Programming Maurin Auxéméry told BEST FIT last year, "jazz has a central place at the heart of the history of music.. and from jazz, disco was created, funk was created, rock was created. There’s a connection between all of this and jazz"

At its 45th edition, Nas will perform Illmatic with a symphony orchestra at Place des Arts’ Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier and there’s headline shows from Ayra Starr and Thundercat. Over two thirds of the festival’s shows are entirely free with American soul legend Mavis Staples opening the TD Stage on 26 June, and jazz bassist-singer-songwriter Esperanza Spalding closing on the 5 July. Jazz legends Wynton Marsalis, Bill Frisell and Avishai Cohen will also play while Arooj Aftab, Nubya Garcia, Makaya McCraven, Los Bitchos, Hiatus Kaiyote and RJD2 lead the FIJM's more genre-pushing artists.

Canada’s own Oscar Peterson will also be celebrated at a special concertmarking his 100th anniversary with an all-star ensemble led by trumpet virtuoso and former Canadian Brass member Jens Lindemann. Focusing on Peterson’s Canadiana Suite, there will also be tributes to jazz trumpet greats Doc Severinsen, Louis Armstrong, Wynton Marsalis, and more. The show will take place in the same building where the Peterson performed his last concert in Montréal, 21 years ago.

Peterson also features as part of a unique AR experience that leads you on journey via eight dynamic tableaus on the Maison du Festival’s iconic wall – from Montréal’s jazz roots and the art of improvisation to the connections between jazz and hip-hop, and a heartfelt tribute to Peterson (made with his family).