Vancouver International Jazz Festival

Founded in 1985 and incorporated in 1986, Coastal Jazz is a community-based, not-for-profit, charitable arts organization that has worked diligently to establish Vancouver as a centre for creating and exchanging sounds and ideas between local, national, and international music communities. Our mission is not only to increase the appreciation of music but to strengthen the arts community by developing special projects, artistic exchanges, partnerships, educational initiatives, community programs, and collaborations that further the art form.

Ranked as one of British Columbia’s largest not-for-profit music presenters, Coastal Jazz produces the annual Vancouver International Jazz Festival as well as year-round concerts, and has a long-standing commitment to music education through its youth music programs and workshops. The Society is proud to be a significant part of Vancouver’s and B.C.’s economic engine and tourism industry, attracting over 100,000 people to its annual festival and generating an estimated $20 million in economic impact.