Vancouver International Jazz Festival announces Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaily, and The Bad Plus, for June 23 to July 2 event

Fest opts for a smaller, more sustainable event as it moves forward for 2023

THE VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL Jazz Festival has announced it’s moving forward with its 38th edition, June 23 to July 2, at venues around the city.

So far, organizer Coastal Jazz & Blues Society has lined up performances by Grammy-winning vocalist Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaily performing as their new project Love in Exile on June 26, plus American jazz quartet The Bad Plus on June 27. Both shows will take place at the Vancouver Playhouse, with tickets available at www.coastaljazz.ca as of February 16 at 10 am.

Coastal Jazz reports it’s downsizing the event a bit, amid news other festivals like the Vancouver Folk Music Festival and the Squamish Constellation Festival have been struggling to survive amid rising costs. Faced with rising site infrastructure and artist touring costs, as well as its TD title sponsor relationship coming to a close in 2022, Coastal Jazz is putting together a smaller fest than in the past.

A free Downtown Jazz concert series will take place outside the Vancouver Art Gallery and šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square, culminating on Canada Day weekend at Granville Island venues, including Performance Works, Ocean Artworks, and the Revue Stage.

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Janet Smith

Janet Smith is founding partner and editorial director of Stir. She is an award-winning arts journalist who has spent more than two decades immersed in Vancouver’s dance, screen, design, theatre, music, opera, and gallery scenes. She sits on the Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle.

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