* Free outdoor concerts * All in Nanaimo’s easy-walk downtown & stunning waterfront.

 
* A New Orleans 2nd Line Street Parade – Join the band with Nanaimo Style – and bring your decorative NOLA umbrella
 
* Steve Jones’ Decadence will provide the music for a Swing/Funky/Jazz Dance – Dress up, Jive & Boogie to the dynamic 10-piece group, lead by saxophonist/arranger, Steve Jones. “Decadence features some of the best Nanaimo musicians playing an eclectic mix of swing, funk, jazz, pop and a few surprises. Always fun for everyone involved.”

 
* A Jam Session, from the inside-out, featuring established and rising talents – or House Band is Ben Henriques (tenor sax), Marty Steele) (keyboard), James McRae (drums), Alex Coleman (bass).
 
* Ernie Watts Quartet (two time Grammy winner), our Headliner of Saturday and and Laila Biali Trio (2019 Juno winner) with her Trio – with guest Artist, Phil Dwyer, (two time Juno winner) on saxophone, for Sunday’s Gala Concert perform at Nanaimo’s beautiful Port Theatre.

In 2017, Nanaimo hosted its first-ever jazz festival! New Orleans came to town, to celebrate the inaugural event September 15th to 17th. For 3 days and nights Nanaimo’s downtown was hopping with the beats and grooves of live jazz. The Festival put Jazz in Diana Krall Plaza, as well as a ‘Jazz Krall’ in other downtown cafes and public spaces throughout the event. Traveling all the way from New Orleans was the John Ellis quintet “Double Wide” who headlined the Festival’s main attraction at the Port Theatre Saturday night.
 
In 2018, the NIJFA headliner was the Charles Mingus Dynasty Quintet.