Why Montreal International Jazz Festival 2020?

The Festival International de Jazz de Montreal is the largest in North America, and is unparalleled in the world in terms of its musical scope and diversity. Plus, the city of Montreal is renowned for its wonderful food, shopping, art, architecture and much more! From the free shows on stages located on the streets around Place des Arts to gala concerts in plush concert halls, it’s an opportunity to immerse yourself in music.Expect crowds, but also a sunny sense of warmth, community and camaraderie; for many Montreal residents, the festival is one of the seminal dates of the summer calendar.

Lots of Bang, Not Much Buck:

A peek into past lineups reveals artists sourced from the cream of the international jazz scene, with numerous forays into R&B, rock, and world music. If you think this sounds like stretching the parameters of what should be allowed in a jazz fest, you're not alone; a rather loose definition of what constitutes jazz is one of the controversial sticking points that continues to dog the festival.

So what pushes the number of attendees into the multimillion range? Free shows, and lots of them—some two-thirds of the shows at the festival are gratis. Ste. Catherine Street, one of Montreal's busiest commercial thoroughfares, forms the crux of the festival experience, and it's packed with literally hundreds of free concerts. These performances form the backbone of the jazz festival, and are accompanied by the public art and street theater that Montreal loves to indulge in throughout the year.