Jazz festival announces free program lineup

The Saskatchewan Jazz Festival is moving to a new location and a new format this year, and the lineup for the free programs was unveiled Friday morning.

The festival, which previously took place in the gardens of the Bessborough Hotel, will move its main stage and festival grounds to Victoria Park for 2023. The festival is set to run from June 30 through July 9.

The 2023 festival will feature six days of free programming from June 30 to July 5, 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.

“We’re very excited about our free program this year, which will feature a wonderful mix of local, national and international artists,” Shannon Josdal, the festival’s executive director, said in a statement.

“Our 2023 lineup is made up of 50 per cent jazz and 50 per cent related genres. Under our new festival model, we are thrilled to be able to include all of our jazz performers in the free program, allowing unfettered access to the genre at the core of our organizational history.”

The Victoria Park Free Program includes three outdoor yoga sessions from Ground Yoga to open the stage on July 1, 2 and 3. Closing out the free nights will be Mazacote (June 30), Charly Hustle (July 1), Apollo Suns (July 2), LowDown Brass Band (July 3), Saskatoon’s Legendary

Rhythm & Blues Revue (July 4), and the Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra (July 5).

Other free events include the Strictly Jazz Series at the Bassment, with performances at 8 p.m. from July 3 through July 9. The Maurice Drouin Lounge in the Persephone Theatre lobby will also be home to performances at 10:30 p.m. from June 30 through July 9.

The free lineup also includes a series of pop-up shows at venues ranging from the Prairie Lily to Optimist Hill and Calories Restaurant.

The full free lineup can be found on the festival website.