BRIDGING
THE GAP
35+ years of music.
One pivotal moment.
A future worth building.
Help us keep the music playing and build the next chapter of the Winnipeg International Jazz Festival.
CAMPAIGN PROGRESS: $14,095 raised of $200,000
For more than 35 years,
Winnipeg has shown up for this music.
We’ve danced together in Old Market Square. Discovered artists we’d never heard before. Watched Manitoba musicians take the stage alongside performers from around the world. Brought our families downtown for free concerts and experienced those rare live-music moments that stay with us long after the last note.
Now, Jazz Winnipeg needs our community to help make sure those experiences continue.
35+ years of legendary artists and unforgettable moments…
✦ Robert Plant ✦ John Legend ✦ Al Green ✦ The Roots ✦ St. Vincent ✦ Herbie Hancock ✦ Pink Martini ✦ Wynton Marsalis ✦ George Benson ✦ Shad ✦ Sonny Rollins ✦ Bobby McFerrin ✦ Wayne Shorter ✦ Rêve ✦ Booker T. Jones ✦ Kamasi Washington ✦ Dave Brubeck ✦ Gregory Porter ✦ The Neville Brothers ✦ Béla Fleck ✦ Branford Marsalis ✦ Madeleine Peyroux ✦ Christian McBride ✦ Arturo Sandoval ✦ Preservation Hall Jazz Band
✦ Robert Plant ✦ John Legend ✦ Al Green ✦ The Roots ✦ St. Vincent ✦ Herbie Hancock ✦ Pink Martini ✦ Wynton Marsalis ✦ George Benson ✦ Shad ✦ Sonny Rollins ✦ Bobby McFerrin ✦ Wayne Shorter ✦ Rêve ✦ Booker T. Jones ✦ Kamasi Washington ✦ Dave Brubeck ✦ Gregory Porter ✦ The Neville Brothers ✦ Béla Fleck ✦ Branford Marsalis ✦ Madeleine Peyroux ✦ Christian McBride ✦ Arturo Sandoval ✦ Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Why we need your help now…
Jazz Winnipeg is at a pivotal moment.
After decades of partnership, TD has ended its title sponsorship of the Winnipeg International Jazz Festival — part of a broader shift that has seen TD end longstanding title sponsorships with several jazz festivals across Canada.
We are deeply grateful for that support. It helped Jazz Winnipeg grow into the organization it is today.
Its conclusion also leaves a significant financial gap at a time when Jazz Winnipeg has been laying the groundwork for an exciting new chapter. Combined with the financial impact of a difficult 2026 festival season, that transition has accelerated our need for community support.
$200K
ONE-TIME CAMPAIGN GOAL
⬇
A BRIDGE TO A STRONGER FUTURE:
Funding provides stability and runway to navigate the sponsorship transition, secure new partnerships, diversify revenue and continue building a vibrant future for live music in Winnipeg.
⬇
2027
+ BEYOND
This is a bridge — not the destination.
What your gift helps makes possible…
Jazz Winnipeg began in 1989 with a group of people who believed Winnipeg deserved to experience great jazz.
That idea has grown into an organization that connects Manitoba artists with audiences, brings exceptional musicians from around the world to our city, creates opportunities for young people and makes extraordinary live music accessible to thousands. Your support helps protect that legacy while building what comes next.
-
![Keep the festival accessibile]()
Keep the festival accessibile.
Great music should be something everyone can experience.Your gift helps sustain free outdoor performances and accessible programming that bring people together in Winnipeg’s Exchange District and downtown each summer.
-
![Make Winnipeg a music destination]()
Make Winnipeg a music destination.
Great music gives people another reason to visit our city.Your support helps bring Canadian and international artists to Winnipeg, attract visitors, strengthen our creative identity and contribute to a vibrant downtown.
-
![Group of young people singing and performing on an outdoor stage with microphones, music stands, and stage lighting.]()
Invest in the next generation.
The future of music begins with an opportunity to experience it.Programs including The Bridge: Music for Life, Canadian Jazz Summit and High School Honour Jazz Band give young people opportunities to learn, perform, build confidence and imagine a future in music.
-
![Put Manitoba artists on stage.]()
Put Manitoba artists on stage.
A strong music community needs places for artists to grow.Jazz Winnipeg creates paid performances, professional development and connections that help Manitoba musicians build audiences, networks and careers at home and beyond.
-
![Keep the music going all year.]()
Keep the music going all year.
Jazz Winnipeg is more than six days in June.Your support strengthens year-round concerts, artist development, educational initiatives and community partnerships that connect artists and audiences throughout the year.
And this is what your support helps protect…
🎷 31+
FREE PERFORMANCES
⏳ 2.7K+
VOLUNTEER HOURS
🦺 268+
VOLUNTEERS
🎟️ 24K+
FESTIVAL ATTENDEES
🦬 41+
MANITOBA ARTISTS
*Numbers from the 2026 Winnipeg International Jazz Festival
This campaign is about giving Jazz Winnipeg the financial bridge it needs to move from today’s challenge to tomorrow’s opportunities.
We are working toward a stronger and more diversified future: new corporate and community partnerships, expanded community giving, year-round programming, greater opportunities for Manitoba artists and young musicians, and a festival that continues to connect Winnipeg with the wider world.
We have a plan — let’s make it happen!
1. STABILIZE
Bridge the immediate funding gap and maintain Jazz Winnipeg’s existing quality, access and operations.
2. DIVERSIFY
Secure new partnerships, broaden community support and strengthen earned revenue.
3. BUILD
Create a stronger festival, future and year-round cultural organization that connects Winnipeg with the world.
What the music means to our community…
Every contribution helps build a stronger 2027 festival and a sustainable future for Jazz Winnipeg. Here’s what your support can help make possible.
(Examples illustrate the kinds of costs your gift helps support — donations are not restricted to the activities/amounts shown.)
How your gift supports our next chapter…
$50
OPEN THE DOOR — Help create opportunities for young people to experience live music and discover what’s possible.
$100
KEEP THE STAGE RUNNING — Help support the skilled technicians and production teams who make live performances possible.
WELCOME AN ARTIST — Help support the hospitality and local transportation that bring artists to our stages.
$250
$500
PUT LOCAL TALENT ON STAGE — Help create paid performance opportunities for Manitoba musicians.
$1,000
KEEP LIVE MUSIC FREE — Make a significant contribution toward the artists, crews and production behind free outdoor festival programming.
POWER A FEST EXPERIENCE — Help support a block of accessible live music — supporting the artists and people who bring it to life.
$5,000
Planning a larger gift? If you’re considering a gift of $500 or more, you can pledge your support toward our $200,000 goal and a member of our team will follow up to arrange your contribution. Pledge your support »
Make your impact last all year…
A monthly gift provides dependable support Jazz Winnipeg can build around throughout the year.
More ways to support your festival…
You’re already part of the band!
If you’ve ever danced in Old Market Square, discovered an incredible musician, brought your family to a free concert or experienced the magic of live music in Winnipeg, you’ve been part of Jazz Winnipeg’s story.
You’ve helped create a place where artists and audiences connect. Where Manitoba musicians find a stage. Where young people discover what’s possible.
Where someone can walk downtown, hear something completely unexpected and leave with a new favourite artist.
Now we’re asking you to help us write the next chapter.
Together, we can bridge the gap…
Every gift is an investment in music and community.
In artists. In young people. In discovery.
In a downtown filled with people sharing an experience together.
And in a Winnipeg where extraordinary live music continues to have a home.
With your support, we’ll have the runway we need to build a stronger, accessible Winnipeg International Jazz Festival in 2027 — and a growing cultural organization supporting artists, audiences, youth and music throughout the year.
Great cities need great music. Together, we can bridge the gap and build what comes next.
QUESTIONS + ANSWERS
-
Two significant challenges have converged: the end of TD Bank's title sponsorship and weather-related challenges during the 2026 festival have created a financial gap that Jazz Winnipeg needs to address while transitioning to a more diversified and sustainable funding model.
-
This one-time campaign will address our past year’s challenges and provide financial stability during a critical transition, supporting Jazz Winnipeg's operations and programming while the organization secures new sponsorships, strengthens fundraising and implements its longer-term sustainability plan.
-
Yes. Jazz Winnipeg is pursuing a strategy to diversify revenue, build new partnerships, expand year-round programming and develop new opportunities in cultural tourism, youth education and artist development.
The immediate priority is to bridge the current funding gap so this work can continue.
-
Yes. Community support helps sustain Jazz Winnipeg's overall charitable programming, including the free outdoor performances that make the festival accessible to everyone. Campaign donations will be unrestricted, allowing the organization to direct funds to its most pressing operational and programming needs.
-
Share our campaign
Introduce us to potential sponsors or community partners
Attend (or sponsor) our December 11 fundraising concert
Attend Sunday night shows at the Fort Garry Hotel
Supply a gift or bid in our upcoming silent auction.
Encourage others to support live music in Winnipeg.
Email donate@jazzwinnipeg.com to contribute an item or experience for our Silent Auction
Make a donation of $500 or more via cheque or e-transfer (e-transfers can be sent to donate@jazzwinnipeg.com)>
If e-transfering and you require a charitable tax receipt, please send an email to donate@jazzwinnipeg.com with details of the amount, your name, email and mailing address.
-
Eligible donations over $20 receive an official charitable tax receipt.
-
For questions about the campaign, making a gift or other ways to support Jazz Winnipeg, please contact us at donate@jazzwinnipeg.ca.
REGISTERED CANADIAN CHARITY
Charity #125835660 RR0001
Eligible donations over $20 receive an official charitable tax receipt.
Icons courtesy of Flaticon, created by: meaicon | Designspace Team | Magnific | Vectorslab | RIkas Dzihab | juicy_fish