Montréal International Jazz Festival
Montréal International Jazz Festival
4.5
About
Since the festival was first inaugurated by the great Ray Charles in 1980, thousands of musicians and public entertainers from around the world gather every year to indulge in their passion for jazz music in the heart of downtown Montreal. Over ten days, more than two million music lovers can enjoy the choice of 1,000 concerts and activities. Between shows there is a plethora of food to explore, from fine dining by world-class chefs to food trucks, and a variety of shopping options. It's the perfect event that everyone can enjoy, with plenty of family-friendly shows and activities. Best of all, most of the shows are free!
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Ville-Marie
How to get there
- Place-des-Arts • 3 min walk
- McGill • 6 min walk
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
105 reviews
Excellent
78
Very good
19
Average
6
Poor
1
Terrible
1
digitalroc
Calgary, Canada2,139 contributions
Jul 2022
I arrived in Montreal on the last day of the Jazz Festival and it wasn’t the reason why I was in Montreal. There were thousands of people in the downtown area, several stages to view performing artists. I am not a jazz fan; however, it was nice to see a festival in the city as festivals generally puts everyone in a good mood.
Written August 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John P
New York City, NY9 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
We have been coming to the festival for 12 years always enjoyed everything about Montreal, the festival and the food. This year the music was a disappointment bought the Metlus pass.3nights cancelled
The performances have changed The construction everywhere has made getting around a problem for the past four years.
Will try it again only if schedule of entertainment improves.
The performances have changed The construction everywhere has made getting around a problem for the past four years.
Will try it again only if schedule of entertainment improves.
Written July 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Biff Simpson
Wilbraham, MA938 contributions
Jul 2016 • Couples
For anyone who says, "I don't like Jazz", this festival has something for everyone... we have seen Blues, Zydeco Rock, Hard Rock, Big Band, Crooners, Jug bands... you name it. They have up to 7 outdoor venues with free concerts and a number of private facilities with paid concerts. Street musicians, dance troupes, characters on stilts and others go through the crowds.
A few comments that might help you:
1) Although the concerts start at about noon, they are few and far between before 5pm. I usually drive to Montreal and park in a big lot in Longueil (east of the island), then take the Metro into Place Des Arts. It's cheap and safe and only about 1/2 hour. I arrive at the festival shortly after 3, take in six concerts and then leave.
2) Most vendors take credit cards. If you use them, you will get the best exchange rate.
3) Put your cell phone in airplane mode before you drive over the border or get a Canada plan in advance or you'll pay big bucks.
Enjoy!!
A few comments that might help you:
1) Although the concerts start at about noon, they are few and far between before 5pm. I usually drive to Montreal and park in a big lot in Longueil (east of the island), then take the Metro into Place Des Arts. It's cheap and safe and only about 1/2 hour. I arrive at the festival shortly after 3, take in six concerts and then leave.
2) Most vendors take credit cards. If you use them, you will get the best exchange rate.
3) Put your cell phone in airplane mode before you drive over the border or get a Canada plan in advance or you'll pay big bucks.
Enjoy!!
Written July 12, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dlvlly
Southwick, Massachusetts137 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
We stayed a couple of blocks from the festival site in an Air BnB and were able to walk to the venues. We were provided with a program and map at the festival site. The program identified artists, times, location and whether the show was free or charged a fee. The large venues outsides were free and the paid shows were in in door concert halls or venues. We stuck with the free outside shows and the venues were in a 5 block area around Ste. Catherine Street. You could walk from one venue to another in less than 10 minutes.
Food and drink was readily available both on-site and off. Chairs for outdoor events are not provided, but we always found a place to sit when we needed to.
Our only complaint was that there were not a lot of international artists as most were from Canada. Also would have liked a little more jazz.
Most of the concerts didn’t start until 5:00, so there was plenty of time to visit other attractions earlier in the day.
Food and drink was readily available both on-site and off. Chairs for outdoor events are not provided, but we always found a place to sit when we needed to.
Our only complaint was that there were not a lot of international artists as most were from Canada. Also would have liked a little more jazz.
Most of the concerts didn’t start until 5:00, so there was plenty of time to visit other attractions earlier in the day.
Written July 31, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lindsay Earle (Goncalves)
Fredericton, Canada102 contributions
Jul 2017 • Couples
Nice lil surprise on our trip. Set up nicely for free entertainment. Bring a lawn chair or enjoy a dinner while listening on a patio. Get there early enough to get a seat though as there are limited restaurant seats. Music was outstanding and it was amazing. Connected to the name brand shopping and close to underground world. I'd plan a trip around it next time :) definitely worth a stroll through
Written July 4, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tom-2009
Toronto, Canada512 contributions
Jun 2017 • Friends
Jazz festival takes place in fairly concentrated area around St. Catherine. All are accessible by walking. It is not all jazz, the music of 2017 was so far mostly Rock and roll, but with sooooo many free show, you can pick and choose. I do not like the main stage too much, as it is more a show place with pyrotechnics. I like the best the Casino stage, with small less known bands, or the Blues stage and adjacent World music stage.
The jazz festival introduced me to a lot of Quebec artist, who seldom come to Ontario, where I live. One problem is in the 2017 festival the daily rain. Other problem is public transportation. I found in Montreal that the buses have long intervals. The STM is really dropping the ball of adequately serving the festival goers, but that is a topic for another review.
The jazz festival introduced me to a lot of Quebec artist, who seldom come to Ontario, where I live. One problem is in the 2017 festival the daily rain. Other problem is public transportation. I found in Montreal that the buses have long intervals. The STM is really dropping the ball of adequately serving the festival goers, but that is a topic for another review.
Written July 3, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wayne-DebC
Edison, NJ18 contributions
Jun 2016 • Couples
Montreal and Quebec City June/July, 2016
Day 1. Arrived at hotel Le Germaine Montreal after an early fight. Walked to the Place des Arts, site of the Montreal Jazz Festival, an approximate 15-minute walk from the hotel. Watched some of the bands playing in the Esplanade. Hotel recommended a restaurant near the festival - Monsieur Bar on Rue (street) Bleury. Restaurant was very good. After dinner attended the festival's opening night concert with Melody Gardot. Opening act was Lisa Simone, daughter of Nina Simone and she put on a very good show. Melody Gardot was outstanding (we are big fans). Her concert was filled with excellent arrangements of many of her songs.
Day 2. Walked to the View Port (old town). Moved through the narrow streets and stopped in the Basilique Notre-Dame De Montreal. The beautiful church was finished in the 1800's and contains many statues, including a rendering of the Last Supper in stone. The $5 admission was worth it. Lunch at the restaurant Jardins Nelson in Place Jacques-Cartier near the Piers in the old town - a popular (crowded) restaurant with a beautiful garden patio in which we ate. Walked back to the hotel finishing a "heavy walking" day around town. Dinner at Bouillon Bilk on Rue Saint Laurent. A high-end restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious meal (highly recommended). After dinner, watched free concerts at a number of venues in the Place Des Arts.
Day 3. Took the Metro subway to the Montreal Botanical Gardens located near Olympic Park, site of the 1976 Olympics. Gardens feature over 14000 roses, a greenhouse with Orchids, a Chinese garden (under construction until September, 2016) and a Japanese garden. The Japanese garden featured a large assortment of Bonsai trees and a collection of photos of Japan. Returned to the Peel street Metro Station and had lunch at Le Pois Penche (nice place). As it was Canada Day, most of the stores were closed (yeah!), but all main attractions were open. Dinner at Z Tapas Restaurant, a new restaurant that has only been open for two months. As the name implies, the specialty is tapas. We had four creative and tasty dishes. Highly recommend this restaurant. While in Montreal, we got tickets for another show - Blue Note record's 75th anniversary band. The band consisted of six musicians, who are jazz stars in their own right - pianist Robert Glasper, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, saxophonist Marcus Strickland, guitarist Lionel Loueke, bassist Derrick Hodge and drummer Kendrick Scott played some great songs, a combination of jazz classics and recent ones they had written individually. The opening act was a band from Quebec called 5 4 Trio. A late night stop at the House of Jazz for more live music rounded out a music-filled day.
Day 4. Walked around neighborhood near our hotel - some nice shops and restaurants in the area. Took Metro to Old Town (much faster and easier than walking). Dinner at Jatoba, a highly rated Asian fusion restaurant that turned out to be another excellent meal. Four for four in Montreal. Saw outstanding show by Avishai Cohen, a jazz bassist. He played with his trio - Omri Mor on piano and Daniel Dor on drums. After the show walked around the festival and watched two free performers at outdoor stages. The free shows we have seen have been excellent and we can see why the Montreal Jazz Festival is one of the largest and most attended in the world - a must for Jazz fans of all types.
Day 5. Checked out of Le Germaine Montreal and boarded a train to Quebec City, a 3-1/2 hr. ride. Pleasant journey through the Canadian countryside. Checked into the Le Germaine Quebec. After walking around the Lower Town of View Quebec, had a traditional Quebecois dinner of rabbit and duck at Le Lapin Sauté - outstanding meal.
Day 6. Walked around View Quebec, both the lower town, where we were staying and the upper town. Quebec City is beautiful, but not an easy town to walk as it is very hilly, but it is a very historical area with a great deal to see. Walked to the St. Roch section, where we had never ventured. This is a growing area consisting of reconverted factories, which now house boutiques and places to eat. Had lunch at Cotes a Cotes in the lower town. Good for lunch with a nice view of the St Lawrence River. Dinner at Echaude, around the corner from our hotel. We had eaten there before and with the added recommendation of the hotel concierge, we decided to go back. Seems repetitious, but yet again, another great dinner.
Day 7. Another day exploring the old town. Focused on the Le Petit Champlain section in the lower town. Had lunch at one of the restaurants on the Le Petit Champlain "stairway", Resto Le Repaire. Good Quebec meats and cheeses hit the spot after another "walkfest". Dinner at Quay 19 next to the hotel. The restaurant has a limited menu, but everything is local and fresh. Seven for Seven!
Day 8. Taxi to Quebec City airport and flight home.
Day 1. Arrived at hotel Le Germaine Montreal after an early fight. Walked to the Place des Arts, site of the Montreal Jazz Festival, an approximate 15-minute walk from the hotel. Watched some of the bands playing in the Esplanade. Hotel recommended a restaurant near the festival - Monsieur Bar on Rue (street) Bleury. Restaurant was very good. After dinner attended the festival's opening night concert with Melody Gardot. Opening act was Lisa Simone, daughter of Nina Simone and she put on a very good show. Melody Gardot was outstanding (we are big fans). Her concert was filled with excellent arrangements of many of her songs.
Day 2. Walked to the View Port (old town). Moved through the narrow streets and stopped in the Basilique Notre-Dame De Montreal. The beautiful church was finished in the 1800's and contains many statues, including a rendering of the Last Supper in stone. The $5 admission was worth it. Lunch at the restaurant Jardins Nelson in Place Jacques-Cartier near the Piers in the old town - a popular (crowded) restaurant with a beautiful garden patio in which we ate. Walked back to the hotel finishing a "heavy walking" day around town. Dinner at Bouillon Bilk on Rue Saint Laurent. A high-end restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious meal (highly recommended). After dinner, watched free concerts at a number of venues in the Place Des Arts.
Day 3. Took the Metro subway to the Montreal Botanical Gardens located near Olympic Park, site of the 1976 Olympics. Gardens feature over 14000 roses, a greenhouse with Orchids, a Chinese garden (under construction until September, 2016) and a Japanese garden. The Japanese garden featured a large assortment of Bonsai trees and a collection of photos of Japan. Returned to the Peel street Metro Station and had lunch at Le Pois Penche (nice place). As it was Canada Day, most of the stores were closed (yeah!), but all main attractions were open. Dinner at Z Tapas Restaurant, a new restaurant that has only been open for two months. As the name implies, the specialty is tapas. We had four creative and tasty dishes. Highly recommend this restaurant. While in Montreal, we got tickets for another show - Blue Note record's 75th anniversary band. The band consisted of six musicians, who are jazz stars in their own right - pianist Robert Glasper, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, saxophonist Marcus Strickland, guitarist Lionel Loueke, bassist Derrick Hodge and drummer Kendrick Scott played some great songs, a combination of jazz classics and recent ones they had written individually. The opening act was a band from Quebec called 5 4 Trio. A late night stop at the House of Jazz for more live music rounded out a music-filled day.
Day 4. Walked around neighborhood near our hotel - some nice shops and restaurants in the area. Took Metro to Old Town (much faster and easier than walking). Dinner at Jatoba, a highly rated Asian fusion restaurant that turned out to be another excellent meal. Four for four in Montreal. Saw outstanding show by Avishai Cohen, a jazz bassist. He played with his trio - Omri Mor on piano and Daniel Dor on drums. After the show walked around the festival and watched two free performers at outdoor stages. The free shows we have seen have been excellent and we can see why the Montreal Jazz Festival is one of the largest and most attended in the world - a must for Jazz fans of all types.
Day 5. Checked out of Le Germaine Montreal and boarded a train to Quebec City, a 3-1/2 hr. ride. Pleasant journey through the Canadian countryside. Checked into the Le Germaine Quebec. After walking around the Lower Town of View Quebec, had a traditional Quebecois dinner of rabbit and duck at Le Lapin Sauté - outstanding meal.
Day 6. Walked around View Quebec, both the lower town, where we were staying and the upper town. Quebec City is beautiful, but not an easy town to walk as it is very hilly, but it is a very historical area with a great deal to see. Walked to the St. Roch section, where we had never ventured. This is a growing area consisting of reconverted factories, which now house boutiques and places to eat. Had lunch at Cotes a Cotes in the lower town. Good for lunch with a nice view of the St Lawrence River. Dinner at Echaude, around the corner from our hotel. We had eaten there before and with the added recommendation of the hotel concierge, we decided to go back. Seems repetitious, but yet again, another great dinner.
Day 7. Another day exploring the old town. Focused on the Le Petit Champlain section in the lower town. Had lunch at one of the restaurants on the Le Petit Champlain "stairway", Resto Le Repaire. Good Quebec meats and cheeses hit the spot after another "walkfest". Dinner at Quay 19 next to the hotel. The restaurant has a limited menu, but everything is local and fresh. Seven for Seven!
Day 8. Taxi to Quebec City airport and flight home.
Written July 11, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kevin C
Montreal, Canada70 contributions
Jul 2015 • Friends
THE must-see festival if/when in Montreal over the festival period. if you're not then adjust your schedule so that you are ;). The 2015 festival was the best in years, IMHO, and the acts just keep getting better and better. While there are many ticketed shows well worth seeing there are PLENTY of open-air free acts that are top-notch. Great venue to discover talent you've previously missed. Beautiful Summer evenings, great crowd of people, plenty of food venues. It's all good.
Written May 11, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My-name-is-Ann
Mississauga, Canada165 contributions
Jul 2015 • Solo
I was so impressed by how huge this festival was--until I realized there were about a dozen more stages! Not to be missed if you love drinking beer outdoors, great jazz and blues by 'name' artists (buy tickets) and lots of free artists that were really amazing. What a great party! I'd suggest you by pass the bad food (hot dog stands, overpriced sandwiches) and head to LeViet nearby on St. Catherine St. for healthy Vietnamese sandwiches/soup/spring rolls and frozen yogurt bar--you'll need your energy to keep up!
Written July 4, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wonderlust_10
Boston, MA53 contributions
Jul 2019
Free concerts not the same quality as years gone by.
Air was fill with the reek of marijuana made it hard to breathe.
Streets were littered with plastic.
Not worth going unless you have tickets for a show you really want to see!
Air was fill with the reek of marijuana made it hard to breathe.
Streets were littered with plastic.
Not worth going unless you have tickets for a show you really want to see!
Written July 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Gerald, I’m wondering how we know where the bands play at the jazz festival. We have seen the programme but we are unsure .do we go to one venue and then at the end of that show move to another venue? We would love to message you directly because the jazz festival web site assumes a level of experience that we don’t have.
Written June 25, 2018
Estando em Montreal no período do festival, em que ruas podemos aproveitar do astral da cidade nessa época? Vendo o movimento dos músicos, a alegria da festa, bebendo algo?
Written May 27, 2018
Hi, 1jazzylady548. What would you like to know about this attraction? Where are the best places to stay?
Written May 1, 2018
Hi, 1jazzylady548. What would you like to know about this attraction?
Best places to stay close to Jazz Festival??
Written May 1, 2018
Hi all, we attended the jazzfest one or two years ago (I forget) and as we were walking to the Quartier, we passed a small indoor venue and saw on the marquee that Bonobo was playing!! We hadn't seen this advertised and I'm not sure he was affiliated officially with the festival. This makes me think that possibly there are other, unaffiliated concerts every year since tbh I can get my fill of jazz rather quickly. Where might I find these concerts I speak of? Thanks so much for any info!
Written March 28, 2018
Hi, Marie. What would you like to know about this attraction?
Hi we are going to Jazz fest for the first time this year. Can you tell me the set up for the free concerts? Are they just spread out throughout montreal and old town? Is it easy to stumble upon them if you are just out and about walking around the city?
Written April 10, 2017
Hi, Marie. What would you like to know about this attraction?
I'm going for the first time this year could you give me some guidance on the free concerts? Are they just scattered among old town and when your out strolling you just come across them or is there a map? I'm probably getting tickets to at least one venue but I wanted to know the free concert set up. Also is the dinner cruise worth doing or is that something better enjoyed during the day?
Its our 2nd trip to Montreal so we have already seen some sights but we are looking to see the one's we missed such as little Italy and the gardens. Thanks
Written April 10, 2017
Billy B
Key West, Florida
Where is a good place to stay in the area within walking distance of the Jazz Festival
Written April 29, 2016
Did you find out the best place to stay?
Written May 1, 2018
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