Jazz Festival moving to Victoria Park in 2023

The SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival is moving to a new venue in 2023, and making some other big changes as well.

The festival, which previously took place in the gardens of the Bessborough hotel, will move to Victoria Park in 2023, festival organizers announced Friday morning. This year’s festival will run from June 30 through July 9.

After trying out Victoria Park for the free programming stage in 2022 — and seeing success — festival executive director Shannon Josdal said the entire event will be making the two-kilometre move up the river this year.

“As we return to full-scale operations in the post-COVID era, our festival model must evolve in order to provide the highest quality of programming at the best possible venue for our patrons,” Josdal said in a statement.

“While we will miss our old home at the Bessborough Gardens, moving the TD Mainstage and festival grounds to Victoria Park will allow us to create a heightened festival experience while keeping ticket prices reasonable.”

Josdal said the organizers’ goals this year include streamlining operations, offering more value to patrons, and maintaining a high standard of programming. The move to Victoria Park, she said, helps accomplish all three.

“We’re able to have one central location,” Josdal explained.

The 2023 festival will feature six days of free programming, followed by four days of ticketed events using a day ticket system. Patrons can purchase single-day, two-day, three-day, or four-day passes to attend all the performances during those days.

“Instead of buying multiple tickets for multiple shows throughout the city, you’re able to buy a single ticket and come stay for the day and see absolutely everything,” Josdal said.

“They’re getting more for their dollar in addition to more free programming for the festival.”

The single, central location will also allow the festival to hold longer days of programming, Josdal said.

Another change coming to the festival this year is a bus shuttle system that will run throughout downtown Saskatoon, Riversdale and the Broadway district to help bring people to and from the festival site. Josdal said the transportation project will also help guarantee safe rides for people at the festival and alleviate some of the traffic and parking congestion near the site.

A large series of free pop-up events are also slated to happen throughout the 10-day festival in the downtown, Riversdale and Broadway areas.

“You’re still going to feel like there’s jazz happening all throughout the city,” Josdal said.

The lineup for the 2023 festival will be announced this spring.

–With files from Libby Giesbrecht