Guelph Jazz Festival

Guelph Jazz Festival The Guelph Jazz Festival is an annual event that presents creative, improvised music.

Spearheaded by Ajay Heble, the Guelph Jazz Festival was founded in 1994 by a group of friends who shared a love of creative improvised music and a commitment to Guelph. The Festival has consistently garnered praise from local, national, and international critics for its great programming. Ajay Heble retired as Artistic Director in 2016; Scott Thomson was hired to replace him in early 2017.

The energy, the connection, the shared moments—our audience is the real heart of the Guelph Jazz Festival. 👥✨Our biggest...
06/08/2026

The energy, the connection, the shared moments—our audience is the real heart of the Guelph Jazz Festival. 👥✨

Our biggest mission is to give back to Guelph by keeping incredible music and community programming accessible to everyone. But we can’t do it alone.

Your donations directly fund low cost and free public concerts, youth workshops, and community spaces that bring us all together like this.

🔗 Be a part of the music: Click the link in our bio to make a donation and support your community today!

Photos by & weldonhovey

06/05/2026

We asked local festival-goers for their take on GJF, and their answers did not disappoint! 👀👇

Your turn: If you had to describe the Guelph Jazz Festival in just 1 to 3 words, what would they be?

Let us know in the comments! 💬

Festival footage by & .hov

Music has the power to connect us all. 🤝 Take a look back at last year’s Six Turntables project. Twelve high school stud...
06/03/2026

Music has the power to connect us all. 🤝
Take a look back at last year’s Six Turntables project. Twelve high school students from worked with Christopher Willes and Akash Bansal during a two-week workshop resulting in a brilliant and inspiring performance dancing with portable turntables sounding recordings from our archive.

The Guelph Jazz Festival’s mission goes beyond the main stage. Donations from music lovers like you allow GJF to give back to our community through accessible arts and community experiences.
Every dollar helps us support the next generation of creative minds right here in Guelph. 🎨🌱

🔗 Make an impact: Click the link in our bio to donate to GJF today.

Christopher Willes

Thanks to & .hov for these captures!

Community moves together! 💃✨We love supporting our friends at  , and their incredible festival is just around the corner...
06/01/2026

Community moves together! 💃✨

We love supporting our friends at , and their incredible festival is just around the corner from June 5–7!

A festival doesn’t happen without an amazing crew behind the scenes. If you want to get involved, meet fantastic people, and support local contemporary dance, they are looking for volunteers to help bring the magic to life.

Ready to lend a hand?

🔗 How to sign up: Click the link in bio to fill out the volunteer form, or head over to guelphdance.ca for more details!

Let’s show them some GJF love. See you out there! 🙌


Community moves together! 💃✨

We love supporting our friends at , and their incredible festival is just around the corner from June 5–7!

A festival doesn’t happen without an amazing crew behind the scenes. If you want to get involved, meet fantastic people, and support local contemporary dance, they are looking for volunteers to help bring the magic to life.

Ready to lend a hand?

🔗 How to sign up: Click the link in bio to fill out the volunteer form, or head over to guelphdance.ca for more details!

Let’s show them some GJF love. See you out there! 🙌

GuelphEvents GuelphDance Volunteer

Say hello to our official festival artwork! 🎨 We are absolutely captivated by this gorgeous piece designed by Gillian Wi...
05/26/2026

Say hello to our official festival artwork! 🎨 We are absolutely captivated by this gorgeous piece designed by Gillian Wilson.

Gillian is a freelance illustrator and screen printer based in Guelph. Her hand-drawn, graphic style is heavily influenced by folk art, symbolism and the natural world.

Thank you, Gillian, for bringing your unique vision to our festival community! 🌿✨

🎨: Gillian Wilson

05/25/2026

Voices of Guelph: Valentina Morelli 🎷✨

As our Festival & Social Media Manager, Valentina sees the magic of GJF from every angle. Valentina shares a favorite memory from last year and dives into why protecting creative spaces for adventurous music matters so much to our community.

What’s your favorite festival memory? Let us know below! 👇

Featured in this video: .elliot , , .circus ,

Video clips by + .hov

05/22/2026
05/21/2026

The secret is out. 📍✨

We couldn't imagine the festival without the Royal City Mission . It’s more than just a beautiful building; it’s a space that embodies the spirit of our community and provides the perfect backdrop for improvised magic. 🎹✨

Who are you hoping to see take the stage here? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Thanks and .hov
for this video capture.



Featured in the video: .lynn

05/19/2026

Voices of Guelph: Joe Sorbara 🥁✨

Who better to guide you through the than a musician who lives the art of improvisation?

We caught up with Joe Sorbara —our Artistic Director— to talk about the unique spark that makes GJF so special. From a "magical moment" of years past to advice for the next generation of festival-goers, Joe’s perspective is not to be missed. 🎬

✨ What’s one GJF performance you’ll never forget? Tell us your "magical moment" below!

05/13/2026

SAVE THE DATE 📅
11-13 September, 2026
Guelph Jazz Festival
📍 Location: Downtown Guelph

🎷 Clear your calendar, Guelph!
We’re thrilled to announce the dates for the 2026 Guelph Jazz Festival!

Get ready for a weekend of inspiring performances, improvised magic, and community vibes in the heart of the city.

Thanks to and .hov for these beautiful captures.

Address

42 Carden Street
Guelph, ON
N1H3A2

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