Guelph Jazz Festival
September 11, 2026 - September 13, 2026
The Guelph Jazz Festival is an annual celebration of experimental, adventurous, and avant-garde
jazz music in Guelph, ON. Founded in 1994 by Ajay Heble, the festival has a long history of being
an important stage in Canada for creative and improvised music.
Held the second weekend of September in downtown Guelph, the festival brings together
Canadian and international artists performing everything from experimental jazz and improvised
music to genre-bending contemporary sounds, with performances across city venues and public
spaces.
Guided by a vision to present excellent, unconventional live music that celebrates the diversity
and creativity of our world, GJF is recognized both for its strong curatorial vision and for its
commitment to making creative music accessible to audiences of all kinds.
In 2026, the Guelph Jazz Festival will take place September 11–13 in downtown Guelph,
featuring concerts, workshops, artist talks, and a community parade. In the two days leading up to
the festival, the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation at the University of
Guelph will host the Guelph Jazz Festival Colloquium, an educational forum exploring improvised
music.
