A storied history of the world’s biggest jazz festival
Jazz Fest makes up a primary piece of any Montréal summer, and the past luminaries who’ve presided from its stages make up a distinct piece of musical history that reaches far beyond the boundaries of jazz. With past performers including Ray Charles, Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, Ben Harper, Don Cherry, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, John Zorn, Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, Chet Baker, Gilberto Gil, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Diana Ross, Ôlafur Arnalds, Tanya Tagaq, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, Anderson.Paak and the Free Nationals, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Herbie Hancock, Orville Peck, Bebel Gilberto and Nina Simone, some of whom have also officially released their performances as live albums, the Jazz Fest has steadily growth into the biggest of its kind on the globe. And not only do Montrealers come out in force for the festivities, thousands of international music lovers also regularly make the pilgrimage every year.
Expanding horizons every year
Always one to leap over boarders both geographic and genre-based, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal’s 2024 line-up guarantees a wealth of crowd-pleasing classics and brand-new discoveries. And while just the initial names from this year’s roster have been released, they already include a number of must-sees. The first series of announcements include Laufey, Vieux Farka Touré, Yellow Days, Alfa Mist, Joshua Redman Group featuring Gabrielle Cavassa, Django Festival Allstars, Elisapie, Ill Considered, Pink Martini, Jesse Cook, Joep Beving and Ocean Alley. And if that’s just the appetizer, we can’t wait to see the main course. Keep tabs on upcoming performer announcements—not to mention all of Jazz Fest’s off-festival concerts—and reserve tickets at the festival’s website.
Plotting a sustainable festival future
Since 1989, the Jazz Fest has developed and implemented sustainable initiatives to minimize their impact on the local and global environment, simultaneously promoting a positive societal influence. Indeed, these efforts have placed the Jazz Fest’s operations at the forefront of environmental responsibility.
These actions include the use of hydroelectric and solar power whenever possible, the installation of self-service water fountains and the banning of all single-use plastics (including backstage), the use of 100% recyclable dishes and cutlery for all on-site restaurants, the use of waste sorting stops for proper and efficient waste disposal (along with the Green Brigade on-hand to help out), an on-site Eco-Centre focused on sorting reusable items including construction and hazardous materials, the recycling of cigarette butts by Mégot Zéro, replacing printed programs and other materials with screens and mobile apps, setting aside hundreds of free bike parking, partnering with public transport, ensuring the site remains accessible for all audience members and donating directly back to the local community in collaboration with Renaissance and La rue des Femmes. Explore these efforts further here.