Mark your calendars and get ready to swing into a world of mesmerizing melodies and soulful rhythms at the much anticipated Kensington Market Jazz Festival. Returning to the heart of Toronto's eclectic Kensington Market, this year's festival promises to be an unforgettable celebration of jazz in all its vibrant forms.

Whether you're a seasoned jazz aficionado or just looking to groove to some captivating tunes, the Kensington Market Jazz Festival has something for everyone.

Born and raised in Kensington Market, founder, organizer, singer-songwriter, and philanthropist Molly Johnson O.C., has been proud to showcase hundreds of established musicians on the Toronto jazz scene since the festival’s start in 2017, in one of the city's most vibrant neighbourhoods, in the heart of Toronto's heritage district. Over the last seven events, KMJF has presented hundreds of concerts featuring hundreds of Toronto’s jazz musicians, in local venues and with the help of over 150 volunteers.

 The highly anticipated Kensington Market Jazz Festival (KMJF) returns this year for the 7th year of performances, boasting an incredible lineup. Since its inception, the can’t-miss festival has brought the biggest names in jazz music and up-and-coming superstars to Toronto in a series of ticketed and curated busking shows.

The KMJF will return to in-person entertainment Oct. 1-2 in Toronto’s vibrant neighbourhood of art, vintage shops and multicultural cuisine, a designated National Historic Site of Canada.

Created and helmed by award-winning jazz vocalist Molly Johnson, KMJF will kick off at Tom’s Place (190 Baldwin St), the hub of the festival’s solo piano series, hosted by Holly Nimmons. The other participating venues include Tapestry (formerly Poetry Jazz Café), Handlebar, Supermarket and Pamenar with seven shows each per day. There are also Pay-What-You-Can shows in Bellevue Square Park on Saturday and Sunday from 1-2:30pm and 4-5:30pm.

The weekend concerts run from 1 p.m. until 11 p.m. The media invite and details to the festival’s kickoff is below.