Now running for more than 30 years, the Montreal International Jazz Festival is a music fan’s dream. This jazz festival arose from humble beginnings in the 1970s, when jazz had fallen out of mainstream popularity, and is now the largest festival in the world. As one of the most respected festivals with typically more than 1 million attendees present, to say the festival is popular would be an understatement.
Festival-goers will need to purchase a ticket to see the headliners, but there are hundreds of free shows taking place around the festival. Two-thirds of the festival’s performers are free acts supported by the arts, so this international festival gives guests a lot, for a little.
The Montreal International Jazz festival received criticism for not strictly adhering to what constitutes jazz music, but with iconic music talents such as Ray Charles, Leonard Cohen, Elvis Costello, Sting, Prince, Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald having graced the headlining stage in past years, it is no wonder the festival has gained and maintained such attendance.
The festival is known to be warm, friendly and inviting, despite massive crowds drawn to the venue. The more popular way to navigate the venue is by bike; guests typically use the Bixi bike-share program to get around. The venue is so vast the event never feels overcrowded, but navigating from stage to stage can be daunting, so be sure to grab a map.
Tickets can be sold by day or in packages bundled with hotels, food, swag and more. For those buying a ticket and booking a hotel separately, the earlier the better. Downtown Montreal fills up quickly and with so many music fans expected in attendance, rooms fill up quickly, too.
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