The Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival takes a literal village
Georgia Straight by Nathan Caddell, July 21st, 2026
It’s not hard to be charmed by Fort Langley. The shops, the old-timey feel, the almost century-old community hall. This is, after all, the “Birthplace of B.C.”, where a Hudson's Bay Company fur-trading post was established in 1827 and later became the location where the official Colony of British Columbia was proclaimed in 1858.
These days, the community shines on a visit, a class trip, or a Hallmark shoot. Unlike many other towns of its size and scope, scores of young people are taking over the established, entrenched businesses and putting their spin on things while keeping the parts that made it great in the first place.
That’s been one of the founding principles of the Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival, which was started nine years ago and has since become a summer staple of the area. The festival is different from other music festivals you’ll find in the Lower Mainland and beyond in that it activates the entire city in ways other jurisdictions could only dream of.
There are two parts to the festival: a free portion that takes place around the entire village, and ticketed events at various theatres and venues.
“Our location is really unique—the free festival is all contained within the village, it’s walkable and people can move to the different stages and enjoy the free music, art, and culture,” says Karen Zukas, executive director of the Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival.
Those free activities include things like acrylic painting sessions, painting and art workshops for kids, mehndi art workshops, Indigenous cultural demonstrations, wood carving, storytelling, and dance performances.
“And then we spend a lot of time on our ticketed programming, thinking about not just the different kinds of music, but the instrumentation,” says Zukas.
That programming has evolved over the nine years to get to a point today where Zukas confidently asserts that the lineup is world-class. Highlights include the two-night Cool Blues Show, which has eight different headliners, including Vancouver blues and roots quartet Honeybear the Band, and also features whiskey tastings, food trucks, and other vendors.
There’s also a sold-out Amy Winehouse tribute concert and a Big Band Jazz Concert featuring some of B.C.’s most talented musicians being led by Canadian jazz trumpeter Daniel Hersog.
Zukas is perhaps most excited about Generation X Meets Next Gen, featuring Grammy-nominated and multiple Juno Award-winning musician Laila Biali.
“We’re bringing in three young and emerging jazz artists to perform with Laila; it’s a one-of-a-kind show,” says Zukas. “It’s a powerful celebration of legacy and mentorship and music. It kind of reimagines classical repetoire through a fresh and modern lens.”
Zukas makes no bones about the fact that there have been many challenges along the way for the festival, as with many similar music festivals across the province.
“Many festivals, including our own, have rising costs, complex event planning requirements, and reduced government funding,” she says. “Many festivals have had to scale back or shut down all together. Maintaining and delivering community festivals has become so incredibly difficult in today’s economic environment. Many of them, including us, are at risk of eliminating our free programming. It’s a difficult time.”
That would be a shame for a community that celebrates the music and events and gathering that comes every summer with the festival. Big years for the event have seen some 15,000 people attend over four days. It also survived the pandemic through first an online-only version and then a hybrid event in 2021.
“It's really important to us to have those two days of free music, art, and culture to make it accessible to everyone,” says Zukas. “We want to encourage people to come out and enjoy music and not have economic barriers in place. It’s nice to offer variety.”
There’s a legacy being crafted here—one that may not have the longevity of the post offices and town halls in the village but is creating just as much meaning.
The Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival takes place July 23-26.