The International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI), in partnership with the Guelph Jazz Festival and the University of Guelph, invites proposals for presentations at 2024 Guelph Jazz Festival Colloquium. The colloquium will take place September 11-13, 2024, as part of the 31st annual Guelph Jazz Festival. Featuring panel discussions, debates, performances, workshops, keynote […]

1 April 2024 – Submission for 2024 have closed. Check back in October 2024 to submit of the following year. We are now accepting submission for the 2024 Guelph Jazz Festival through a new form available here. While this is a curated festival we welcome the chance to discover new music and artists. For 2024

The Guelph Jazz Festival is pleased to announce the hiring of Alex Ricci and Karen Ng as the Interim Executive staff for 2024.  Alex Ricci takes on the role of Interim General Director, bringing 6 years of experience as the festival’s Market Square Manager and Festival Logistics Assistant. “Guelph has a singular history with live

Read Josef Woodard’s thoughtful and thorough review of the 2023 Guelph Jazz Festival in All About Jazz. “Guelph has established its place firmly in the left-of-center-minded niche of the global jazz festival cosmos.”

People came out in droves to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Guelph Jazz Festival last weekend. A feeling of joy and festivity pervaded all GJF sites, and especially Market Square, which returned to pre-pandemic levels of attendance. Whether it was the thumping grooves of Samba Squad and Big Smoke Brass at the Friday Night Street Music Party, the sweet croon of Rebecca Hennessy’s Makeshift

Day Three of the 30th Anniversary Guelph Jazz Festival features a full afternoon and evening of free live music in Market Square, culminating in a headlining performance by trip-hop/neo-soul phenomenon, Witch Prophet. The full program starts at 2pm: • 2pm • Afternoon Bike Ride (Montreal ‘bedroom pop’ trio)• 3:30pm • Turkwaz (vocal music from Greece, Türkiye, and the Balkans)• 5pm • Rebecca Hennessy’s Makeshift Island:

Day Two of the 30th Anniversary Guelph Jazz Festival is jam-packed with activity. Three ticketed concerts culminate with the 8pm concert, Royal City Mission, 50 Quebec Street, by Montreal’s exceptional 20-piece Ratchet Orchestra, led by and playing the compositions of Nicolas Caloia. This ensemble is without peer among creative music large ensembles in Canada. Preceding that, at 3pm,

Day One of the 30th Anniversary Guelph Jazz Festival features three exceptional ticketed concerts: 4pm, Silvervest, the Montreal duo of Kim Zombik (voice) and Nicolas Caloia (double bass), artBar (formerly the Ebar), 37 Quebec Street Upper; 8pm, [Ahmed], the European quartet whose collective improvisations reimagine the oeuvre of Ahmed Abdul-Malik, Studio Theatre, River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich St.; and,

With the 30th Anniversary 2023 Guelph Jazz Festival starting in one week, Thursday 14 September, we invite you to help us to start the festivities early at a series of free preview concerts this weekend, 9-10 September. ‘GJF in the Parks’ started as a response to public health measures and audience comfort considerations at our 2021 Festival, but we have