Beaches Jazz Festival Returns to Toronto for Its 38th Year

The Beaches Jazz Festival is returning to Toronto this July with a month of free live music across the city’s east end.

Running from July 3 to 26, 2026, the festival will bring concerts, dance programming, main stage events, and street performances to several locations, including Jimmie Simpson Park, Woodbine Park, and Queen Street East.

Now in its 38th year, the Beaches Jazz Festival has grown into one of Canada’s largest free jazz festivals. Each summer, it draws major crowds to the Beaches, Leslieville, Riverside, and nearby east-end areas.

A Month of Free Music Across the East End

The 2026 festival is spread across five main weekends.

Each weekend has its own setting and focus. As a result, visitors can choose from park concerts, Latin dance programming, main stage performances, and the well-known StreetFest along Queen Street East.

Although jazz remains part of the festival’s roots, the lineup also includes salsa, funk, soul, swing, Latin music, pop, rock, reggae, and other live sounds.

Key Details:

• Dates: July 3 to 26, 2026
• Main Locations: Jimmie Simpson Park, Woodbine Park, Queen Street East
• Admission: Free
• Performance Times: Full band schedule available on beachesjazz.com
• Instagram: @beachesjazzfestival
• Facebook: Beaches Jazz Festival

2026 Beaches Jazz Festival Schedule

• July 3 to 5
  Sounds of Leslieville & Riverside
  Location: Jimmie Simpson Park
• July 10 to 12
  Salsa on the Beach
  Location: Woodbine Park
• July 17 to 19
  TD Main Stage Series featuring 90s Night
  Location: Woodbine Park
• July 23 to 25
  StreetFest
  Location: Queen Street East
• July 24 to 26
  OLG Main Stage Series featuring Groovin’ in the Park
  Location: Woodbine Park

Sounds of Leslieville & Riverside

The festival begins with Sounds of Leslieville & Riverside from July 3 to 5 at Jimmie Simpson Park.

This opening weekend brings music to one of Toronto’s east-end park spaces, giving nearby communities a local start to the festival. Visitors can expect live performances, food vendors, and outdoor programming throughout the weekend.

Salsa on the Beach

From July 10 to 12, Salsa on the Beach takes over Woodbine Park.

This weekend focuses on Latin music and dance. Guests can expect salsa, merengue, cumbia, DJs, live bands, vendors, food trucks, and an open-air dance floor.

For visitors who enjoy dance-based programming, this is one of the festival’s main weekends.

TD Main Stage Series

The TD Main Stage Series runs from July 17 to 19 at Woodbine Park.

This weekend includes a wide mix of live music, with 90s Night included as one of the featured programs. The main stage format gives audiences a larger concert setting while keeping the festival open to the public.

StreetFest on Queen Street East

StreetFest returns from July 23 to 25 along Queen Street East.

During StreetFest, the street becomes a live music corridor. Bands perform along the route while visitors move between music, food trucks, vendors, restaurants, and local businesses.

The street closure begins at 6:00 p.m., with bands scheduled from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. each night.

StreetFest will take place on Queen Street East between Woodbine Avenue and Beech Avenue.

OLG Main Stage Series

The festival closes with the OLG Main Stage Series, featuring Groovin’ in the Park, from July 24 to 26 at Woodbine Park.

This final weekend brings another round of outdoor performances to the park, with music, dance, and community programming closing out the month-long festival.

A Long-Running Toronto Summer Event

The Beaches Jazz Festival has been part of Toronto’s summer music calendar for decades.

Its format has grown from jazz-focused programming into a broader live music event that now reaches multiple parks, stages, and neighbourhood streets. At the same time, the festival continues to support local performers, touring artists, and large public audiences.

For Toronto’s east end, the event also brings more foot traffic to parks, restaurants, small businesses, and Queen Street East.