Coastal Jazz celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival with free programming to ensure everyone has access to great performances and music.
The free performances start on opening weekend, with the Downtown Jazz series at the Vancouver Art Gallery on 
. Then the music follows with five, free happy hour concerts at Bentall Centre on the Dunsmuir Patio, and a full day of free concerts on July 1, 2025 at Ocean Artworks, on Granville.
Downtown Jazz; gets the Festival underway on opening weekend on Saturday, June 21 with a full day of high-energy shows by local and international artists, including a headlining performance by the band Kneebody. On Sunday, June 22, Downtown Jazz continues with big band, blues, jazz and R&B on the Georgia Street stage, with a closing performance by Makaya McCraven. The weekend also features a Sounds of Youth stage, presented by Tom Lee Music and Anthem Properties, with performances by some of Metro Vancouver’s best high school jazz combos, a marketplace of merchants and vendors, food trucks, games, giveaways and a licensed beer garden.
Happy Hour; new for 2025 the Vancouver International Jazz Festival partners with Bentall Centre to host free daily happy hour concerts, beginning Monday, June 23, to Friday, June 27, 2025. From 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm each day, the Dunsmuir Patio at Bentall Centre transforms into a lively, outdoor music venue with a licensed bar. The free happy hour performances include; Jonny Tobin (June 23), Parlour Panther (June 24), Colin Sankey Band (June 25), Kristin Fung (June 26), and Malcolm Aiken Quintet (June 27)
Closing Concerts; July 1st, the 40th Festival comes to a close as Coastal Jazz hosts a day of family-friendly, free programming at Ocean Artworks on Granville Island with sounds ranging from New Orleans-style and Afro jazz, to surf rock and music from a 90s cult classic Japanese anime. Featured free performances include Evan Arntzen with special guest Lloyd Arntzen (12:00 pm), Feven Kidane Plays Dido & The Handpeople (2:45 pm), The ReViberators (5:30 pm), Cowboy Bebop Bebop Band (8:15 pm)
In addition to the free programming, the 40th Anniversary edition of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival offer 160 events. Tickets events Vancouver Playhouse hosts headlining performances by the Bill Frisell Trio with Thomas Morgan and Rudy Royston and Richard Bona Asante Trio. Granville Island will be the hub for Festival activity, with afternoon and evening shows scheduled at Performance Works, Ocean Artworks and the Revue Stage, culminating in a slate of free shows at Ocean Artworks on July 1st. Great music and live jazz performances fill the city’s downtown patios, clubs, as well as North Shore venues throughout the 12 days of the Festival.
For more information on the 2025 Vancouver International Jazz Festival events and performances visit coastaljazz.ca