Jazzfest

Ending this past Sunday, June 29, Jazzfest 2025 proved to be a big hit for fans of the genre. With names like Samara Joy, Gary Clark Jr., Mavis Staples, and many more, there was something for everyone at this year’s festival.

The 45th Ottawa Jazz fest kicked off this weekend on high with standout performances from The Roots and a lineup of exceptional talent to kick off the summer festival season.

It’s easy to dismiss all things American right now. But to ignore jazz—arguably America’s greatest contribution to culture—would be a mistake. For 45 years, the Ottawa Jazz Festival has presented the best jazz the world has to offer. This year, in keeping with Canada’s newfound patriotism, the Festival highlights Canadian musicians with their Made in Canada lineup and accompanying Spotify playlist.

The snow is melting, which can only mean one thing: summer festival season is right around the corner! Bluesfest and Jazzfest have announced their full season lineups, so here’s a little about what you can expect from the latter.

I love how the Ottawa Jazz Festival consistently attracts great musicians—and an audience that genuinely appreciates them.

They join locals acts Kellylee Evans, Jeff Rogers, The Commotions, Miguel de Armas and more in the 2024 Ottawa Jazz Festival lineup.

Many new artists will grace Ottawa Jazzfest stages this year. Leah Geller lines up five of the first-timers to the festival who are bringing exciting, fresh sounds to Confederation Park and surrounds.

Day 6 of the festival proved to be one of the best, showcasing the past, present, and future of jazz.

Digging Roots brought their blend of First Nations and blues, soul and rock ‘n’ roll music to the OLG Stage at Ottawa Jazzfest 2022 for a set full of joyfull resistance.

A project born of the pandemic and making their Jazzfest debut, the 12-piece OLJO is led by a master of Afro-Cuban jazz, Miguel de Armas.

Ottawa stalwart Justin Duhaime and his trio took the crowd back to the ’20s and ’30s with a sumptuous display of virtuosity evocative of Django Reinhardt.

Since their founding in 1939, the Blind Boys are arguably become as much an institution as the three White House administrations they’ve sung for, occupying both the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

Ottawa Jazzfest carried on despite the mildest threat of rain on Sunday afternoon, with Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble taking the OLG Stage.

Busty and the Bass brought their high-energy funk fusion to the opening nights of Ottawa Jazzfest, running until July 3.