2018 Ottawa Jazz Festival lineup announced!

An astounding array of superlative artists to perform at 2018 TD Ottawa Jazz Festival

The TD Ottawa Jazz Festival, taking place from June 21 – July 1, 2018 is proud to continue its tradition of acclaimed excellence and present a diverse and vibrant lineup in its 38^th year. Countless unique gems, fascinating stories and collaborations will abound over eleven days, seven different stages and eleven series.

The Festival is delighted to welcome Top Shelf as the 2018 Main Stage sponsor! Due to the NCC and the City of Ottawa infrastructure updates, a large portion of Confederation Park is unavailable to the Festival this year. Top Shelf Main Stage activities will be presented at Marion Dewar Plaza in front of City Hall. The National Arts Centre is once again proudly hosting the Discovery Series at the Fourth Stage. Other NAC spaces, however, are still receiving upgrades. The Festival’s new configurations for 2018 look like this:

Top Shelf Main Stage at Marion Dewar Plaza in front of City Hall – featuring headlining Concerts Under the Stars Series at 8:30pm and the Great Canadian Series at 6:30pm	Confederation Park – New! OLG Ontario Stage (schedule tba) west end of Confederation Park
Tartan Homes Stage at Lisgar Field – 7:30pm  Series and OLG After Dark Series at 10:30pm 29 Lisgar St.	National Arts Centre Fourth Stage – Discovery Series at 6pm and 8pm 1 Elgin St.
First Baptist Church – Jazz Warriors Series at 7pm 140 Laurier Ave W	Grill 41 at the Lord Elgin Hotel – Late Night Jamming starts at 10:30pm 100 Elgin St.
Mercury Lounge at 10:30pm 56 Byward Market Square

 

New this year – the Play North Series presented by OLG! To celebrate the circum polar region of our world, the Festival has invited Canadian and international Northern musicians to share their own musical signatures and to collaborate with other Northern musical artists. For some it will be the first time they actually meet and perform together, such as Canada’s Tanya Tagaq and Norway’s Mari Boine. Other artists featured include: A Novel of Anomaly and Marius Neset.

An astounding array of superlative artists from around the world will perform at this year’s Festival.

Alison Krauss, headlining on the Top Shelf Main Stage on June 26, is one of the biggest stars in Country and Bluegrass. A force to be reckoned with, she began her musical foray at a young age, winning numerous fiddle competitions. Her unique voice has become the voice of a generation. Her latest CD Windy City, a jazzy musical tour of mid-century Nashville, combines mandolins, fiddles, saxophones and trumpets.

After her concert, Alison’s featured Dobro player, renowned guitarist Jerry Douglas will perform with his own band in the OLG After Dark Series. Jerry performs in Alison’s lauded Union Station band.

Whether you purchase a Festival pass or a Daily Park Pass, attendees will have access to more than the headlining show.

On June 30, the biggest name in jazz today, Herbie Hancock, in his 4^th Festival appearance, will take the stage with his virtuosic band, in what promises to be the not-to-be-missed performance of the summer! An acclaimed member of the most famous version of the Miles Davis Quintet, he has collaborated with everyone from Joni Mitchell to current pop stars.

But that’s not all! Your ticket for this evening also gives access to Ottawa’s much-admired chanteuse Kellylee Evans in the Tartan Homes Series at 7:30pm and the exhilarating Cory Henry & the Funk Apostles at 10:30pm on the OLG After Dark Series. The TD Jazz Youth Summit at 6:30pm will start off this jam-packed evening of performances.

2018 headliners featured on the Top Shelf Main Stage include Boz Scaggs, Chris Botti, Dee Dee Bridgewater with the Memphis Soulphony “Memphis: Yes, I’m Ready”, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, and Lake Street Dive. And… there are more announcements to come soon!

EARLY BIRD PASS PRICES now on sale (while quantities last) at ottawajazzfestival.com/tickets, by phone at 613-241-2633 and in person at the Festival Box Office at 602-294 Albert St. 

GOLD PASS – $325 (while quantities last)
BRONZE PASSES – $199 (while quantities last)

TICKET PRICES:

YOUTH PASSES (must be age 12-25) – $99

Daily Park Passes range from $40 – $65 (ticket includes all shows on the Top Shelf Main Stage and the Tartan Homes Stage)

Platinum Tickets range from $60-$85 (guaranteed seating in a section in the front of the Top Shelf Main Stage)

Youth Daily Park Passes – $35 (must be age 12-25)

NAC Fourth Stage shows $25

First Baptist Church shows $40

OLG After Dark shows $28 (shows also included in Daily Park Pass)

All Ticket Prices include HST