Hundreds of concerts to pick from at 44th Montreal International Jazz Festival

The 44th edition of the Montreal International Jazz Festival is underway with a seemingly never-ending list of concerts.

Festivalgoers can choose from more than 350 shows — two-thirds of them are free of charge — most of them performed on stages set up on the streets around Place des Arts in downtown Montreal. 

“This festival is more from a little two-block festival thirty years ago into the wonderful event that it is today,” said Roy from Montreal. “I like old jazz. I’m open to the new, but I like old jazz. I like Dixieland, I like big band music, you know, and you get it all here.”

“It’s not only jazz, it’s all kinds of music, and that’s what’s fascinating me,” added another Montrealer, Alan Cyr.

“It’s more laid back so you can just stroll and pop in for a few minutes or just stay for the whole evening,” said Deirdre Welch, who is in Montreal from California.

“I would say this is one of the best times of the year to live in Montreal, because it’s summertime and you know, doing winter it’s really hard,” said Stephie-Rose Nyot Nyot, who is from France and is living in Montreal.

“I would really like to discover new bands. For instance, there were just some students right here. That was really nice to see all the works they’ve been putting together, so yeah, very dynamic.”

As far as the paid shows, this year André 3000 and Norah Jones are just a couple of the bigger international names headlining the festival along with Montreal artists such as Alexandra Stréliski and Kid Koala.

“We’ve been waiting for all the winter, the cold, everything, and now we are just enjoying the summer with the greatest vibe ever,” said Kamal Hijaouy, a Montreal artist.

“I like jazz and blues, but sometimes you can hear some Afrobeat music and other kinds of music, which is really great to get exposed to,” said Richard Blanchet, from New Hampshire and lived in Montreal.

“We don’t necessarily listen to jazz, but actually this festival isn’t just about jazz really is it?” asked Robyn Nogue, a Montrealer.

But whether it’s paid or for free, there is an eclectic mix of music genres going beyond traditional jazz at the festival including rock, pop and hip hop as well as performances inspired by the global music scene.

“It’s such a great opportunity to have free venues here in Montreal in summer in such a great place as Place des Arts,” said Hijaouy.

“What can I say? It’s a chance to get out, meet people, hear some interesting tunes, you know. It’s a great city, it’s a great time to be alive, you know,” added Roy.

The Jazz Fest runs until July 6th and a full list of the concerts and showtimes can be found on the festival website.