The Vancouver International Jazz Festival is turning 40 — and it’s throwing one heck of a party. From June 20 to July 1, 2025, the fest will take over the city with 12 days of music, showcasing a lineup that’s as much about global stars as it is about the city’s own thriving jazz scene. Think more than 160 shows, 50 of them free, in venues that stretch from the Vancouver Playhouse to clubs on Granville Island to open-air stages downtown.

Leading the charge are two familiar names who know a thing or two about shaking things up. First up is Richard Bona, the Grammy-winning bassist whose Asante Trio is all about fusing African traditions with modern grooves. He’ll hit the Vancouver Playhouse on June 23 with pianist Jesús Pupo and percussionist Harvel Nakundi. The vibes on this one feel like a jam session across continents.

The next night, guitar legend Bill Frisell returns to a festival that’s been part of his story since the mid-’80s. Frisell’s trio — with Thomas Morgan on bass and Rudy Royston on drums — brings an understated intensity to the stage, blending Americana, jazz, and chamber music into something that’s unmistakably his. He’ll be digging into material from his latest album, Orchestras.

Unstoppable Sets

But the festival isn’t just about the headliners. The lineup is stacked with boundary-pushers: Makaya McCraven’s shape-shifting beats, Marquis Hill’s hard-charging trumpet, Susie Ibarra’s genre-defying percussion (fresh off her 2025 Pulitzer Prize win), and Immanuel Wilkins teaming up with Poland’s Lutosławski Quartet for something truly unexpected.

Along with the international talent, the fest is also a love letter to Vancouver’s own jazz community. Local artists like Shruti Ramani, Bruno Hubert, and Gordon Grdina will be front and center, proving that the city’s homegrown sounds are just as compelling as anything from New York or Berlin.

Whether you’re buying tickets for a headliner or stumbling on a free gig at the Bentall Centre Happy Hour Series, the Vancouver International Jazz Festival is set to deliver surprises, collaborations, and a reminder that jazz is still the soundtrack to kick off summer in this coastal city.