Coastal Jazz

Founded in 1985 and incorporated in 1986 as the Coastal Jazz & Blues Society, 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. Coastal Jazz’s mission is to increase the appreciation of jazz music in all its creative forms and strengthen the arts community by developing special projects, artistic exchanges, partnerships, collaborations, and music education initiatives. Coastal Jazz produces the annual Vancouver International Jazz Festival, celebrating its 40th edition in 2025. Coastal Jazz is proud to be a significant part of Vancouver’s and B.C.’s economic engine and tourism industry, attracting over people to its annual festival and generating an estimated $20 million in economic impact.