Let’s Hear It for Yaletown 2026
Experience the magic of talented local Canadian musicians as they fill the sun-dappled outdoor square with exhilarating live performances. From toe-tapping rhythms to swinging melodies, immerse yourself in the vibrant music, ranging from New Orleans trad jazz, Django’s hot club jazz swing to vintage big band swing.
Presented by Vancity Hot Jazz Society (VHJS) and the Yaletown Business Improvement Association (YBIA), these four exciting weeks of live hot jazz celebrate Canadian talent and the local communities that make it all possible!
📅 When: July 28 – August 21, 2026 | Tuesday to Friday
🕒 Time: 5:30 – 7:30pm
📍 Where: Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown (next to Roundhouse Station)
💃 Let’s Dance: Dance lessons at 6:15pm
🎟️ Cost: FREE!
JOCELYN WAUGH HOT 4
TUE 7/28
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Jocelyn Waugh is one of the most in-demand trumpet players in Vancouver. A versatile entertainer, she plays a wide variety of styles from Jazz, Mariachi, Funk and R&B to improvised and ‘new music.’ A Capilano University Jazz Studies graduate, her work includes film and commercials.
Instagram: @jocelynwaugh
BEN MACRAE’S EASTSIDE SECOND LINE
WED 7/29
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Ben MacRae, a fixture on the Vancouver trad jazz scene, is a reedsman who stands in the line of great hot jazz musicians. Enthusiastic, full of energy, and often poignant, Ben brings a delightful mixture of trad jazz, crowd work, and musical expertise to the forefront with his bands.
www.macraemusicalservices.com
VAN DJANGO
THU 7/30
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Van Django is a Vancouver based string swing jazz quartet whose music is rooted in the gypsy jazz of 1930’s Paris. The band composes original music in this style as well as mash-ups of jazz, pop and classical music. Van Django has toured extensively in Canada, the US, Europe and China. Cameron Wilson, violin; Budge Schachte, guitar; Finn Manniche, guitar; Brent Gubbels, bass. www.vandjango.com
BONNIE NORTHGRAVES QUINTET
FRI 7/31
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Bonnie is a trumpet player, vocalist, pianist, and composer who combines smokey, rich, and explorative singing with lyrically intriguing, evolved and playful trumpet playing to recall New Orleans’ early jazz styles. She is a musical powerhouse that is exciting, joyful and chock full of personality.
www.bonnienorthgraves.com
DEAN THIESSEN & THE GOOD APPLES
TUE 8/04
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Dean Thiessen’s personal projects include Stranger Friends, DM Electric Ko, and Stranger Friends Orchestra. Since moving to Vancouver in 2013 Dean has played countless swing dances and pulls from the sounds of Nat King Cole, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and just a dash of Red Garland.
deanthiessen.com
Instagram: @deanedwardthiessen
ME & G
WED 8/05
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Vibrant vocal duo Mary Ella Young (ME) and Georgina Arntzen (G) blend rich, intertwined harmonies with a joyous fusion of swing, blues, and folk-inspired pop. Staples of the Vancouver music scene as two-thirds of The Hot Mammas, the duo formed ME & G after the loss of their cherished partner. They will be joined by an all-star female band: Shannon Thue on keys, Jenny Lee on bass, Casey Thomas Burns on trombone and Lauri Lyster on drums. www.instagram.com/meandgvan/
TIM SARS QUINTET
THU 8/06
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Tim Sars leads his band with a warm, deep and lyrical baritone saxophone tone. The band embraces the sound of trad jazz, New Orleans street beat, and fun-loving originals. Tim’s joined by friends Jocelyn Waugh on trumpet, Wynston Minckler on bass, Alex Flock on guitar and Seth Kitamura on drums. timsarscom.wordpress.com
Instagram: @sarsanian
NOAH GOTFRIT QUARTET
FRI 8/07
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Double bassist Noah Gotfrit leads a quartet of local jazz luminaries to swing out for ya’ll. The music will focus on traditional swing era dance repertoire from Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Illinois Jaquet and also feature some of Noah’s originals.
soundcloud.com/user-334915086
BELLEVILLE SWING
TUE 8/11
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Belleville Swing are a Vancouver-based swing group inspired by the hot club tradition of Django Reinhardt. Born in Vancouver’s swing scene in 2021, they’ve become a familiar presence that brings joyous, dance-floor-friendly music to cafés, bars, festivals, and intimate rooms across the city. Featuring violin, guitar, upright bass, and a mix of instrumental swing and vocal numbers, their sound is rooted in jazz that’s equal parts vintage and alive in the moment.
@bellevilleswing
BRAD SHIGETA’S SWINGTIME BAND
WED 8/12
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Trombonist and band leader Brad Shigeta has performed and recorded worldwide with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Jazz at Lincoln Center and many other big bands for five decades. He is musical director for Edmonton’s Stardust and Lindy Harvest and worked regularly with Frankie Manning in New York.
bradshigeta.com
LLOYD AND TOM: THE GREAT GRANDPA ARNTZENS
THU 8/13
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Lloyd Arntzen (born in 1927), the legendary clarinetist and pillar of Vancouver’s trad jazz scene since the 1940s teams up with his son, Tom Arntzen, the singer, keyboardist, composer, producer and grandpa in his own right. This beloved duo lead their band in a joyful take on classic New Orleans jazz and the swinging music of the Great American Songbook.
www.tomarntzen.com
JOSH ROBERTS ORCHESTRA
FRI 8/14
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Long a favourite with swing dancers, Josh Roberts brings a fresh take to the music of the 1930s and ’40s with his 10-piece big band. Featuring boisterous horns and driving rhythm, the band’s sound and repertoire is inspired by groups including Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Chick Webb, and Duke Ellington. Josh’s projects – ranging from duos to a 13-piece big band – have been featured at many dance events including Camp Jitterbug, the Northwest Balboa Festival, Stormy Weather, Portland Lindy Exchange and Vancouver’s own LindyBloom.
www.joshroberts.ca
COMPANY B JAZZ BAND
FRI, June 27, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Company B Jazz Band features 3-part vocal harmony in vintage style, delivering a dynamic performance that sends audiences back to the dance halls of the Swing Era and Roaring ‘20s speakeasies. These talented musicians have played music festivals and renowned venues across the globe.
www.companybjazz.com
JOE ABBOTT SWING TEAM
TUE, July 01, 2025 🍁CANADA DAY SPECIAL🍁
*3:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
Joe Abbott is a clarinet player, sax player and singer. He is a familiar face in Vancouver’s traditional Jazz and swing scene, known for his bombastic and bluesy melodies and deep love of the swinging eighth note. You can find Joe and his all star band smiling and pumping out rhythm all over town.
joeabbott.bandcamp.com
LACHE CERCEL & THE ROMA JAZZ ENSEMBLE
THU, July 17, 2025 (rescheduled date)
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
World renowned violinist and composer Lache Cercel is one of the creators, with Don Ogilvie, of Roma Jazz. With Don, Kyle Hagen, Paul Townsend and Laura Crema, Lache seeks to create dialogue between musical cultures and to provide an experience of peace, joy, healing and harmony.
www.facebook.com/lacheandthecrew
TERMINAL CITY BRASS BAND
THU, June 19, 2025
5:30pm | Bill Curtis Square, Yaletown
The Terminal City Brass Band plays a full-on range from Trad to Funk and anything else that crosses their minds. Apart from their numerous individual music projects, these close friends, together since 2016, now come together and play regularly out of the love for the sound they create.
www.facebook.com/Tcbrassband
Vancity Hot Jazz Society 
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