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Luminato Festival Toronto 2023: Full Programming Line-up
Luminato Festival Toronto, the city’s international festival of arts and ideas, returns this summer from June 7th to June 18th with an exceptional program set to invigorate Toronto with creativity. Luminato Festival Toronto previously announced three extraordinary shows for the festival including Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha, Aalaapi | ᐋᓛᐱ, and Nuit along with two long-anticipated world-premieres, Dragon’s Tale and Loss. Today, Luminato releases complete programming details including the Canadian premiere of global phenomenon Walk with Amal.
“Luminato is back this June to enliven the city through the imaginations of close to a thousand talented artists,” says Celia Smith, CEO of Luminato Festival Toronto. “In 2023, we are hosting an incredible program featuring stories from Toronto and around the globe which show glimpses of daily life alongside remarkable life-altering moments. This festival continues to be a place for thought provoking art and conversations that reflect our world.”
The festival will feature two free weekends of celebration beginning with the Canadian premiere of Walk with Amal on Wednesday, June 7th. Little Amal, a 12-foot-tall puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee, has travelled to 90 cities around the world in search of her mother. At Luminato, she will walk across the GTA for 5 days, looking for her new home. Little Amal will be welcomed to Toronto by musicians, dancers, children, elders, and everyone in between. Luminato has partnered with many civic leaders, community organizers, and newcomer and refugee groups to create a magical journey of art and hope, which everyone is invited to join.
Luminato will present the world premiere of Mi’kmaq artist Jordan Bennett’s new travelling public art installation Echoes Calling Back. This large-scale inflatable will be found at College Park, in the centre of the city.
Building on the success of the concert series at Woodbine Park in 2022, Luminato will bring a mix of local and international artists from Zeca Pagodinho and Moneka Arabic Jazz to Princess Nokia and Snotty Nose Rez Kids. The 2023 Music Weekend will once again take up residency at David Pecaut Square, where Luminato has had many beautiful events in the past.
“This year, we explore art and ideas centred on the importance of home, and invite audiences to feel at home with us,” says Naomi Campbell about her final program as Artistic Director of Luminato Festival Toronto. “We are presenting a gamut of dynamic, heartfelt stories infused with fabulous music, which we hope will bring joy, inspire conversation, and strengthen everyone’s commitment to make the world a better place.”
2023 Luminato Festival Toronto Highlight
Luminato events begin June 7th with a weekend of electrifying programs. Little Amal is welcomed to Canada for the first time at Walk with Amal Toronto along with popular remounts of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha, Aalaapi | ᐋᓛᐱ and Nuit. Theatre productions Dragon’s Tale and Loss will be making their world premieres at the festival. A wide range of additional programming will be offered, including our Illuminating Ideas education and conversation series; and accessibility initiatives, such as Radio LUMI which accompany and augment each event. More details, collaborators, and activities will be shared in May 2023.
Walk with Amal Toronto – Canadian Premiere
Presentation Dates: Wednesday June 7th – Sunday June 11th, 2023
Location: Across the GTA, Check luminatofestival.com for details.
Genre: Street Theatre
Entry: Free
A refugee child will arrive in Toronto. She will be tired, hungry, frightened, and in need of care. How will you welcome her?
Little Amal, whose name means “hope” in Arabic, is a 10-year-old Syrian refugee who has been travelling the world since 2021. This enchanting 12-foot-tall puppet represents all children fleeing war, violence and persecution with the urgent message – “don’t forget about us.”
YouTube Video – Little Amal Walks Toronto in June 2023
Little Amal will visit Canada for the first time during the opening of the 2023 festival. For five days, she will travel throughout the GTA, greeted by artists, community activists, workers, civic leaders,children, and members of local communities from all walks of life. She will participate in thirteen different community-created events which will be authentic and meaningful to Little Amal and to the people she will meet.
Walk with Amal Toronto is produced by The Walk Productions and Luminato Festival Toronto in association with Handspring Puppet Company.
Lead Supporters: Rogers Communications and the Province of Ontario
Community Partner: Ian and Kiki Delaney C.M.
Community Supporters: Joan and Jerry Lozinski, Mohammad Al Zaibak, The Rossy Foundation, Sandra and Jim Pitblado, Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund
Community Friends: Hal Jackman Foundation, Lucille and Urban Joseph, Rob and Cheryl McEwen, C.M., Nancy Pencer
Echoes Calling Back by Jordan Bennett – World Premiere
Presentation Dates: Thursday June 8th – Sunday June 18th
Location: College Park (444 Yonge Street at College) (Outdoors)
Genre: Public Art
Entry: Free
At once buoyant and imposing, Echoes Calling Back will transform pedestrians’ experience of College Park into a larger-than-life art exhibition. The piece may serve as a meeting place, a shelter, a source of joy, or a symbol of our region’s living history.
Exploring the ancient relics of North American mega-fauna and using Bennett’s signature graphic style evocative of porcupine quill work found in Mi’kmaq visual culture, this whimsical work imagines a playful remnant from a distant past, and will remind us that what we call home was once wilderness.
Commissioned by Luminato, curated and produced by MASSIVart
Supported by Downtown Yonge BIA and Brookfield Properties
Luminato Music Weekend
Presentation Dates: Saturday June 17th and Sunday June 18th
Location: David Pecaut Square (215 King Street West)
Genre: Live Music
Entry: Free
An incredible community of musicians from across the world and around the block will make Toronto sing and dance during Luminato Music Weekend!
On Saturday afternoon, groove to the sounds of Moneka Arabic Jazz, then stick around for the resplendent Yaya Bey’s soul, jazz and RnB with a cheeky edge; Polaris Music Prize winner Congolese-born Pierre Kwenders launches the evening with Afrobeats, followed by a double bill of Indigenous hip-hop from Snotty Nose Rez Kids, and Latiné New Yorker Princess Nokia.
On Sunday, travel the Black Atlantic with Lusophone ensemble Ayom, rejoice to the funk, soul, hip-hop and everything-in-between NOLA vibes of Tank and the Bangas, and dance the night away with the crown prince of Samba, Zeca Pagodinho.
Luminato will host many other kinds of activities over the weekend: a bar, a coffee spot, delicious food, and curated vendors.
Presented by TD Ready Commitment
Supported by OLG with assistance from The McLean Foundation and Bullfrog Power
Belonging Is – World Premiere
Presentation Dates: Wednesday June 8th – Sunday June 18th
Location: Union Station
Genre: Public Art
Entry: Free
Through a series of guided engagements communities will be invited to explore their sense of belonging in the creation of a new temporary mural at one of the city’s busiest hubs. What does belonging feel like? Smell like? What is a memory you have of feeling like you belonged?
Each day a new prompt will lead to the creation of a community mural animating space to remind us all that we are part of something, and we are in this together.
Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha
Presentation Dates: Tuesday June 6th – Thursday June 8th (3 previews) Saturday June 10th, Sunday June 11th, Wednesday June 14th – Saturday June 17th (6 performances)
Location: St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts (27 Front Street West)
Genre: Opera
Entry: Ticketed
Originally written by Scott Joplin (c. 1911), Treemonisha is one of the few pieces set soon after the abolition of slavery, written by a survivor of that era.
Fusing European classical music with the sounds of ragtime, folk, and gospel to create a thrilling and distinct sound, and introducing a young woman protagonist chosen by her community to lead, Joplin’s nearly-lost opera was far ahead of its time.
Working from the surviving vocal score and featuring the first all-Black orchestral ensemble in Canadian opera history, the new arrangements and orchestrations by Jessie Montgomery (Sphinx Medal of Excellence and ASCAP Leonard Bernstein award winner) and Jannina Norpoth (Grammy nominee) merge musical vocabularies, reflecting the major themes of the reimagined version: split identity – African and American – and the role of one’s ancestors in coming to terms with the realities of a new land.
Led by a predominantly Black female creative team from across North America, Joplin’s ground-breaking opera has been reimagined with a new story and libretto by playwright and broadcaster Leah-Simone Bowen (The Secret Life of Canada), working with Emmy-nominated co-librettist Cheryl L. Davis. Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha is conducted by the first Black woman conductor in Canadian opera history, Panamanian-American Kalena Bovell, and directed by award-winning, internationally acclaimed Canadian stage director Weyni Mengesha.
This reimagined version tells a revolutionary story of a young Black woman who, in discovering the truth of her past, and overcoming enormous personal loss, discovers her power to unify a divided people, and lead her community towards a new future.
Presented by Luminato Festival Toronto and TO Live
A Volcano production in association with The Canadian Opera Company, Soulpepper, & Moveable Beast
Book & Libretto Adapted by Leah-Simone Bowen / Co-Librettist: Cheryl Davis
Arranged and Orchestrated by Jessie Montgomery & Jannina Norpoth
Lead Support from BMO with assistance from S.M. Blair Family Foundation
Aalaapi | ᐋᓛᐱ
Presentation Date(s): Thursday June 8th, – Saturday June 10th (4 performances)
Location: Ada Slaight Hall (585 Dundas Street East)
Genre: Theatre
Entry: Ticketed
In Inuktitut, Aalaapi means “Choosing silence to hear something beautiful”. Immerse yourself in a theatrical performance that combines the sounds of the North – creaking snow, whistling winds, and voices in Inuktitut, French, and English – with radio documentary, to reveal the daily lives of women in Northern Quebec. Drawing on radio’s central role in the North, Aalaapi steps into the world of two friends, Nancy and Ulivia, sharing a cabin in a small village in Nunavik. As images scroll across the cabin, an intimate portrait of young women in Northern communities, depicted with speech, sound, and silences, reveals the richness of their history and the power of their future. Aalaapi is an invitation to listen deeply.
Presented by Native Earth Performing Arts and Le Théâtre français de Toronto, in association with Luminato Festival Toronto
Nuit (1986)
Presentation Dates: Thursday June 8th, – Saturday June 10th (3 performances)
Location: Fleck Dance Theatre (207 Queens Quay West)
Genre: Dance
Entry: Ticketed
Nuit is legendary Canadian choreographer Jean-Pierre Perreault’s seminal work exploring the individual within the collective through fiery, demanding contemporary dance. During the harsh night, eight performers grapple with the hurly-burly of everyday life, pushing themselves to the limit where tensions emerge and a troubling, subterranean vulnerability is expressed.
In Nuit dance becomes a “sculptural material endowed with mobility”, which makes this a major work, not only in Perreault’s legacy but in the history of Canadian choreography.
Presented by Luminato Festival Toronto / Choreographed by Jean-Pierre Perreault / Remounted by Compagnie de la Citadelle with the permission of Espace Perreault Transmissions chorégraphiques
Generously Supported by Nancy Pencer
Loss – World Premiere
Presentation Dates: Wednesday June 14th – Sunday June 18th (6 performances)
Location: Harbourfront Centre Theatre (231 Queens Quay West)
Genre: Multimedia Performance
Entry: Ticketed
Loss is a deeply honest, live retelling of an intergenerational family story, written by Ian Kamau and his father Roger McTair.
This multi-media performance begins as a mirror into a winter of depression, then slowly unravels the mystery surrounding the death of Kamau’s paternal grandmother Nora Elutha Rogers.
An orchestration of memories using live music, video, and storytelling, Loss is an exploration of grief in Afro-Caribbean communities, and an immersive experience towards healing shared with the audience.
Loss was developed in Residency at The Theatre Centre.
Luminato Festival Toronto presents Ian Kamau’s Loss produced by The Theatre Centre
Supported by CIBC.
Dragon’s Tale – World Premiere
Presentation Date(s): Thursday June 15th – Sunday June 18th (4 performances)
Location: Harbourfront Centre Concert Stage (231 Queens Quay W) (OUTDOORS)
Genre: Opera
Entry: Free (registration required)
A beautiful new opera performed on Toronto’s waterfront celebrating the origin of Dragon Boat racing.
In ancient China, poet and politician Qu Yuan dedicated his whole life to the King and the Chu kingdom until exile changed his world forever. In present-day Toronto, Chinese-Canadian Xiao Lian yearns for liberty and independence while her father desperately tries to hold her close. Reaching across time, the Dragon Boat’s drum beats to the rhythm of their hearts as both Qu Yuan and Xiao Lian struggle with the power of love and the desire for freedom.
Experience this operatic celebration of Chinese tradition with a Canadian backdrop, soaring music, and magical storytelling. Created by the world-renowned team behind Soundstreams’ The Weaving Maiden and Tapestry Opera’s smash-hit Iron Road including accomplished Chinese-Canadian composer Chan Ka Nin and award-winning playwright and librettist Mark Brownell. Directed by Tapestry Opera’s Artistic Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori.
Co-produced by Tapestry Opera and Soundstreams, and realised in partnership with Luminato Festival Toronto and Harbourfront Centre
Content source: Luminato Press Release
The nominations for the 55th Annual JUNO Awards are officially in—and they paint a vivid portrait of a Canadian music scene that is both globally dominant and richly diverse at home.
Unveiled by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) on January 27, this year’s JUNOS feature 248 nominations across 47 categories. The winners will be revealed during The JUNO Awards Gala Presented by Music Canada on Saturday, March 28, followed by the nationally broadcast awards show live from Hamilton’s TD Coliseum on Sunday, March 29. Canadians can tune in across CBC platforms, with global viewers watching via CBC Music’s YouTube channel.
Pop Power and Global Impact
Leading the nominations are Justin Bieber and Tate McRae, each earning six nods—the most either artist has received in a single JUNO season. For Bieber, an eight-time JUNO winner with 32 career nominations, the recognition marks another milestone in an already storied career. Among his nominations is Single of the Year Presented by Sunrise Records for “Daisies,” underscoring his continued relevance and evolution on the global stage.
Tate McRae, meanwhile, continues her meteoric ascent. With 17 previous JUNO nominations and multiple wins last year, her six new nominations confirm her status as one of Canada’s most compelling young exports. A year of chart-topping singles, international touring, and artistic growth has positioned her firmly at the forefront of contemporary pop.
Close behind are Cameron Whitcomb and The Weeknd, each earning five nominations. Whitcomb’s story stands out: fresh off two wins at the Canadian Country Music Awards, he makes a powerful TD JUNOS debut with nominations in major categories including Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year, Country Album of the Year, and TD JUNO Fan Choice. It’s a breakout moment that signals a fast-rising career.
The Weeknd, already one of the most decorated artists in JUNOS history with 22 wins and 46 nominations, continues to expand his legacy. His five nominations this year reinforce his global stature and creative ambition.
Daniel Caesar earns four nominations and will also receive the International Achievement Award during the broadcast, recognizing his worldwide impact. He joins a performance lineup that includes The Beaches—fresh from their 2025 Group of the Year win—and six-time winner Jessie Reyez, who earns three nominations this year.
A Historic First: Latin Music Recording of the Year
One of the most significant developments in 2026 is the introduction of a brand-new category: Latin Music Recording of the Year. This historic addition reflects the growing influence and creative excellence of Latin music within Canada’s cultural landscape.
The inaugural nominees—Alex Cuba, Lido Pimienta, Andy Rubal, Isabella Lovestory, and Mario Puglia—represent a spectrum of sounds and identities shaping Latin music from a distinctly Canadian vantage point. Their inclusion marks an important step in acknowledging the genre’s evolution and impact nationwide.
Celebrating Community and Education
Beyond chart-toppers and global icons, the JUNOS continue to spotlight the grassroots foundations of Canadian music.
MusiCounts, CARAS’ music education charity, has announced five nominees for the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award, presented by Anthem Entertainment. Educators from Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta are recognized for their outstanding contributions to school music programs. The winner will receive a JUNO statuette, a $10,000 cash prize, and a MusiCounts grant for their school—an investment in the next generation of Canadian musicians.
Hamilton Takes Centre Stage
As the JUNOS return to Hamilton, the city’s own talent is in the spotlight. Waterdown native Josh Ross, last year’s Country Album of the Year winner, earns four nominations following a breakout year. Hamilton icons Daniel Lanois—an eight-time JUNO winner and Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee—receives a nomination for Album Artwork of the Year, while Brendan Joseph Murphy of Counterparts earns a first nod in Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year.
Adding an intergenerational dimension, 2026 Canadian Music Hall of Fame Inductee Nelly Furtado is nominated for Pop Album of the Year for her eleventh album, 7. With 22 career nominations and 10 wins, her continued presence reflects a legacy still in motion.
A Truly National Celebration
From Francophone Album of the Year nominees Ariane Roy, Fredz, JF Pauze, Lou-Adriane Cassidy, and Pierre Lapointe, to Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year contenders Aysanabee, Sebastian Gaskin, Shawnee Kish, Siibii, and Tia Wood, the 2026 JUNOS highlight the artistic breadth that defines Canadian music today.
In total, 65 artists are making their TD JUNOS debut this year—an unmistakable signal of renewal and emergence alongside established legends.
As Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming Stan Cho noted, the JUNO Awards not only celebrate artistic excellence but also underscore culture’s vital role in driving tourism and economic growth.
On March 29, the country—and much of the world—will be watching as Hamilton hosts a celebration that honours legacy, amplifies new voices, and reflects the ever-evolving soundtrack of Canada.
For the complete list of nominees and artist bios, visit junoawards.ca.
The countdown is on — we’re just one month away from the 2025 Toronto Jazz Festival!
The Toronto Jazz Fest is celebrating its 38th year from June 20 to 29 with 10 days of FREE outdoor performances alongside ticketed shows featuring some of the best local and international jazz artists. With venues across the city, the Toronto Jazz Fest will have neighbourhoods pulsing with music, culture, and community as Toronto reaffirms its place as one of North America’s most vibrant music cities.
OLG Opening Weekend kicks off the Festival’s free admission programming with an incredible diversity of music. From the tap dance of Johnathan Morin to the groove of Soul Stew to David Occhipinti’s chamber jazz and the blues and soul of Dione Taylor, OLG Opening Weekend is a fantastic snapshot of the breadth of the Festival’s programming.
This year’s Sounds Like Toronto series shines a spotlight on homegrown talent. This curated lineup celebrates musicians who are not only building on the legacy of jazz but reshaping it through the lens of Toronto’s multicultural identity. From Waleed Kush Afro-Jazz to Dánae Olano to Lavender Town, Alex Pangman and Jeremy Ledbetter, you’ll get to hear why jazz made in Toronto sounds like nowhere else in the world.
Sidewalk Sessions presented by OLG will bring music directly to the streets, turning the Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood’s sidewalks into spontaneous stages where passersby can discover some of Toronto’s most engaging musicians. From the Flamenco of Tamar Ilana, the trad sounds of the West End Riverboat Band, the soulful SexBandit or Tania Gill’s bike-powered trio, discover some of Toronto’s most engaging musicians!
For ten days, some of the best musicians in the world will join our lineup. From gospel, blues, soul and civil rights icon Mavis Staples, to forward-looking drummer and producer Makaya McCraven, to the incredible Pakistani vocalist Arooj Aftab and local legends Broken Social Scene, you’re sure to find your musical taste on a Festival stage
Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime concert event, celebrating Toronto’s musical legacy with performances by Jackie Richardson, Molly Johnson, Joe Sealy, Jay Douglas, Joy Lapps and many more.
Catch a stellar series of shows featuring top performers from across North America in an intimate club setting – don’t miss your chance to see these outstanding artists up close!
To learn more, see the full festival schedule, or to buy tickets visit: torontojazz.com
The 2025 Toronto Jazz Festival has been made possible in part by the generous support of OLG; The Government of Canada; the Province of Ontario; the Ontario Arts Council; the Toronto Arts Council; ABCRA; and the Bloor-Yorkville BIA. Community support provided by GYRA. “Sounds Like Toronto” is supported by The City of Toronto Music Office, the Music Performance Trust Fund and the Toronto Musicians Association; Long & McQuade is Presenting Partner for Festival educational initiatives.
Source: Toronto Jazz Fest
For 45 years, the Ottawa Jazz Festival has been a big part of the Canadian jazz community, proudly celebrating the talent and innovation of musicians from across the country. Each year, the city comes alive with the sound of over 350 Canadian artists, transforming downtown Ottawa into a hub of rhythm, creativity, and connection.
This rich tradition continues from June 20 to June 29, 2025, as the Festival once again shines a national spotlight on Canadian jazz with a stellar lineup that stretches from coast to coast to coast. From the electrifying energy of Main Stage headliners to the boundary-pushing brilliance of artists featured throughout each series, the 2025 edition promises an unforgettable musical journey.
Not just performers – they’re award-winning artists, renowned composers, dynamic conductors, and passionate educators from some of the top music institutions in the world. They’re improvisers and innovators defining the sound of Canadian jazz today – and tomorrow.
And the celebration doesn’t stop there. Stay tuned for the announcement of the outstanding free local lineup, featuring some of Ottawa’s finest jazz talent.
Friday, June 20
- Allison Russell – Main Stage, 8:30pm (Opening Night Headliner)
Self-taught singer, songwriter, poet, activist, multi-instrumentalist and Grammy-winning artist from Montreal, redefines 21st-century music with her powerful second album The Returner. - Carl Mayotte Quartet – Main Stage at Confederation Park, 6:30pm
Bassist and grand laureate of the 2020-2021 Radio-Canada Jazz Revelation title, his latest album Carnaval, which is a vibrant tribute to Brazilian and Latin music. - Christine Jensen Quartet – NAC Fourth Stage, 6:30pm
Saxophonist, composer and conductor from Montreal, the Juno award winner for Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year in 2011 and 2014 currently resides in Rochester, where she is an Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at the Eastman School of Music. - Tanika Charles – OLG Stage at Marion Dewar Plaza (in front of Ottawa City Hall), 7:30pm
A leading voice in Canadian soul, with two Juno nominations and three Polaris Prize long-list nods. - François Houle‘s The Secret Lives of Colour – NAC Fourth Stage, 9pm
A renowned clarinetest and composer who leads a global ensemble of the music world’s top improvisers including Joëlle Léandre – double bass, Myra Melford – piano, Gerry Hemingway – percussion and Gordon Grdina – guitar/oud. - The Bros. Landreth – OLG Stage After Dark Series, 10:30pm
Juno-winning band blending roots, soul, and atmospheric textures. Come Morning reflects the introspection of the pandemic era.
Saturday, June 21
- Peggy Lee with Open Thread – NAC Fourth Stage, 4pm
Renowned cellist, improvisor and composer from Vancouver. Now living in Australia and performing with Open Thread. Together, the group weaves together music with anthemic melodies, diverse rhythmic structures and a broad range of improvised landscapes. - Deborah Davis and Segue to Jazz – Main Stage, 6:30pm
Opening for Mavis Staples, vocalist Deborah Davis explores jazz’s evolution from Gospel to the contemporary era. - Anna Webber’s Simple Trio – NAC Fourth Stage, 9pm
Guggenheim-winning saxophonist and flutist, and co-chair of Jazz Studies at New England Jazz Conservatory. - La Pambelé in collaboration with Axé World Fest – OLG Stage, 10:30pm
A high-energy Colombian salsa dura band featuring members of Canada’s Legaia Salsa Brava.
Sunday, June 22
- Shuffle Demons – Main Stage, 6:30pm
Pioneering indie-jazz fusion band known for their explosive style and early MuchMusic success. - Pony Girl – OLG Stage, 7:30pm
Ottawa artpop collective praised for their sonic depth and genre-bending live performances.
Tuesday, June 24
- Prime Rib Big Band – Main Stage, 6:30pm
Led by trumpeter, composer and musical director Ed Lister, this 12-piece powerhouse brings swinging, feel-good energy to Ottawa. - Peter Van Huffel‘s “CALLISTO” – NAC Fourth Stage, 6:30pm
Latest avant-jazz project from saxophonist Peter Van Huffel, a bass-less quartet that blurs the lines between composition and free improvisation also with Canada’s extraordinary trumpeter Lina Allemano. - Polky – OLG Stage, 7:30pm
Toronto-based group of multi-talented female immigrant musicians offering high-energy performances and distinctive harmonies. - Marc Copland & Roddy Ellias– NAC Fourth Stage, 9pm
American pianist Marc Copland is considered brilliant and Canadian guitarist Roddy Ellias has been described as a genius. Together they bring to their duo a lyric sensibility and harmonic depth second to none. This performance in Ottawa marks their debut as a duo.
Wednesday, June 25
- Canadian Jazz Collective Septet – Main Stage, 6:30pm
Award-winning Canadian jazz artists, take a collaborative approach to the presentation of original Canadian jazz on the international market. The Collective’s repertoire consists of original compositions from saxophonist Kirk MacDonald, and trumpeter Derrick Gardner, and guitarist Lorne Lofsky, all specially arranged for this ensemble. - Tony D – OLG Stage, 7:30pm
MonkeyJunk guitarist returns with Electric Delta, his first solo project in two decades.
Thursday, June 26
- Broken Social Scene – Main Stage, 8:30pm (Headliner)
The legendary Canadian collective, created by Toronto musicians Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, returns with their ever-evolving, boundary-pushing musical energy. - Carn Davidson 9 – Main Stage, 6:30pm
A chamber jazz ensemble led by William Carn and Tara Davidson, showcasing rich arrangements and dynamic interplay. - Kris Davis Trio feat. Robert Hurst & Jonathan Blake – NAC Azrieli Studio, 7pm
Grammy-winning pianist and Associate Program Director of Creative Development at the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, performs with two jazz heavyweights. - iskwē | ᐃᐢᑫᐧᐤ (short for waseskwan iskwew, meaning “blue sky woman”) – OLG Stage, 7:30pm
Cree Métis artist blending Indigenous sounds with electronic rhythms across a bold, genre-defying catalogue.
Saturday, June 28
- Thanya Iyer – Main Stage, 6:30pm
Experimental pop visionary exploring themes of identity and healing on her new album TIDE/TIED. - Magi Merlin – OLG Stage, 7:30pm
Bold, soulful artist pushing against commercial norms with her latest introspective project A Weird Little Dog. - Utopia Ontario – NAC Fourth Stage, 9pm
Named after a quiet Ontario town, north of Toronto nestled on the Nottawasaga River, their music evokes nature, nostalgia, and introspective calm. - June 29 Jazz Youth Summit – Main Stage, 6:30pm
Nine emerging jazz music students Ottawa’s high schools and universities take the spotlight in an intensive program that runs during the Festival. Many also perform with renowned musicians in the Late-Night Jamming Series at the Lord Elgin Hotel.
Source: Ottawa Jazz Festival
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