For 10 days every year, downtown Montréal is shut down for the biggest jazz festival in the world. More than 2 million people arrive to hear 3,000 artists from around the world play at least 650 concerts across the city, ranging from smoky jazz clubs to large outdoor shows.
During the jazz age, Little Burgundy was a hotbed for black musicians and with Montréal being the only major city where you could legally drink, the city developed a reputation as a party town, popular with tourists who wanted to bring home an illegal souvenir of liquor. The influx of people helped fund many venues like Rockhead’s Paradise, which were important in nurturing the jazz scene.
It wasn’t until 1979 that Alain Simard first conceived of a jazz festival to host in the summer. Simard was a concert producer who brought many legends like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker to perform in the city. The event was a success and has since grown from 12,000 to 2.5 million. In addition to being the largest event of its kind in the world, the Montréal International Jazz Festival is geared for the whole family and many of the concerts are free of charge.
This year’s festival will take place June 29–July 9. Learn more by visiting montrealjazzfest.com.
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