© Canadian Tourism Commission

Montréal's iconic Jazz Fest is back this summer!

Mark Hamilton

Mark Hamilton is the community director for QueerMTL, an internationally-touring musician with his projects Woodpigeon and Frontperson  and a graduate studies student of history researching LGBTQ+ activism in the city. He’s lived in Montréal since 2015, during which time he’s most often spotted atop a BIXI bike usally running a few minutes late.

This article was updated on March 21, 2022.

For over four decades the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal has marked a high point of Montréal’s summers, and this June 30 to July 19, 2022 it’s back to thrill audiences from all over the world at the Quartier des Spectacles. With a packed programme of the latest upstarts and biggest crowd pleasers in in the worlds of jazz and beyond, the 2022 edition marks 42 years of jazzy summers in the heart of Montréal.

© Benoit Rousseau_FIJM

The world’s biggest jazz festival

The history of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal is a who’s-who of musical legends, including Ray Charles, Pat Metheny, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, John Zorn (with Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, no less), Chet Baker, Gilberto Gil, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis and Nina Simone. In front of audiences often numbering over 100,000 spectators strong, many of the city’s most memorable live music memories happened here—check YouTube for a wealth of iconic performers captured in peak form. And each year, the list of iconic moments grows!

Something for everyone

Long expanding the definition of jazz, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal has also spotlit acts as varied as Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals, Bob Dylan, Tanya Tagaq and Diana Ross. 2022 offers unmissable opportunities to experience the likes of Jean-Michel Blais, Woodkid, Bebel Gilberto, Gregory Porter, Jesse Cook, Ôlafur Arnalds, Pat Metheny, Alicia Moffet and George Thorogood & the Destroyers. Nick Cave lovers also won’t want to miss a rare showing of Stranger than Kindness: The Nick Cave Exhibition at the Maison du Festival. Now that’s what we call range. Check out the full schedule of performers and reserve tickets at the festival’s website.

Mark Hamilton

Mark Hamilton is the community director for QueerMTL, an internationally-touring musician with his projects Woodpigeon and Frontperson  and a graduate studies student of history researching LGBTQ+ activism in the city. He’s lived in Montréal since 2015, during which time he’s most often spotted atop a BIXI bike usally running a few minutes late.

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