Canada’s largest festival dedicated to emerging jazz artists, T.U. Jazz Fest, returns to Mel Lastman Square this weekend from September 4th to 6th.

Presented by the Emerging Artists Association (EAA), the free, family-friendly festival will transform the heart of North York into a three-day celebration of jazz, live music and community.

Returning for its 12th season, T.U. Jazz Fest will showcase more than 110 musicians from Canada and around the world, including award-winning and internationally recognized artists from Canada, the United States, Europe and beyond.

This year’s lineup includes Grammy Award-winning producer, bassist and educator Justin Gray, Grammy and JUNO Award-nominated keyboardist Jonny Tobin, award-winning vocalist Julia D’Ascanio, DownBeat Student Music Award recipient Sarah Leroux, and award-winning bassist and composer Josh Warren.

T.U. Jazz Fest 2026 will also welcome Amphitrio, an internationally acclaimed contemporary jazz trio from Romania. Recognized with multiple international jazz awards and regarded as one of the leading voices of Romania’s new jazz generation, Amphitrio will appear as the festival’s 2026 Band of the Year. For all festival performances, you can view the full festival schedule here.

Throughout the three-day festival, visitors can also shop from local vendors, attend masterclasses and discover performances from the next generation of emerging jazz artists. Families can also enjoy a dedicated Kids Zone featuring a bouncy castle, strawberry rides and a bungee run, adding even more family-friendly fun to the weekend.

About T.U. Jazz Fest

Founded in 2015, T.U. Jazz Fest was established to recognize and promote the work of emerging musicians while creating meaningful pathways toward sustainable careers in music. Through paid performances, workshops, mentorship, professional networking, and audience development opportunities, the festival continues to support artists at critical stages of their artistic growth.

As always, you can keep up with all the fun happenings in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area on efosa.

T.U. Jazz Fest

When: September 4th to 6th

• September 4th, 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• September 5th, 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• September 6th, 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Where: Mel Lastman Square, 5100 Yonge Street, Toronto

Admission: Free