An Event Revealing More than Just the Music!
Navigate the largest jazz festival on the planet with Dr. Rich MacDonald, Professor Emeritus and Professional Jazz Drummer!
This unique opportunity gives enthusiasts the chance to meet festival performing musicians, get context from a jazz professional, and hear the best of the best in a world class city.
This unique opportunity gives enthusiasts the chance to meet festival performing musicians, get context from a jazz professional, and hear the best of the best in a world class city.
Wednesday, June 25 - Monday, June 30, 2025
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Availability is limited: 13 of 15 Rooms Available
Register Below |
The Festival
Recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest jazz festival on the planet, the Festival has been synonymous with musical passion and memorable moments for over 40 years. It's where living legends rub shoulders with the finest up-and-coming artists, and jazz explodes at the crossroads of genres and influences. Located in the heart of downtown Montreal, closed to traffic and open until midnight, the Festival site becomes the meeting place for jazz lovers worldwide for ten days. Together, they enjoy close to 150 indoor concerts and the famous outdoor component, consisting of more than 350 outdoor performances, presented on the Place des Festivals, which has been specially redesigned and set up for the event.
Recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest jazz festival on the planet, the Festival has been synonymous with musical passion and memorable moments for over 40 years. It's where living legends rub shoulders with the finest up-and-coming artists, and jazz explodes at the crossroads of genres and influences. Located in the heart of downtown Montreal, closed to traffic and open until midnight, the Festival site becomes the meeting place for jazz lovers worldwide for ten days. Together, they enjoy close to 150 indoor concerts and the famous outdoor component, consisting of more than 350 outdoor performances, presented on the Place des Festivals, which has been specially redesigned and set up for the event.
Tour Highlights
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Included Ticketed Concerts
- 9-time Grammy winner, leader and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra;
- Recent Grammy-winner (2022) for Best Global Music Performer, Pakistani singer, Arooj Aftab;
- Contemporary instrumentalist, winner of gold and platinum album awards, and 2-time Grammy winner, Chris Botti;
- Newcomer, and already 3-time Grammy winner, jazz vocalist, Samara Joy;
- Jazz/rock fusion pioneer, alumnus of the Miles Davis group, and 6-time Grammy-nominated guitarist, Mike Stern.
More about our host:
Dr. MacDonald is Professor Emeritus from Winona State University, where he served as director of jazz and percussion studies from 1996 to 2020. Since 2010 Dr. MacDonald has been writing and publishing drumset pedagogy in the form of instruction books and ancillary audio and video materials. His four books - Drumset Concepts Volumes I-IV - and his audio materials are available via his website: www.macdrummusic.com and his video studies are housed on his YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@macdrummusic5380. Over the last few years, Dr. Macdonald has been developing a “deep-dive” pedagogy for big band drumming, to include playalong tracks and significant audio and video examples. This volume, Drumset Concepts Vol. V – Big Band Drumming, is due to be released sometime in 2025 in both print and online versions. Dr. MacDonald has extensive performance and recording credits including: George Benson, Evan Christopher, Eddie Daniels, Wycliffe Gordon, Slide Hampton, Milt Hinton, JazzMN Orchestra, Delfeayo Marsalis, Rob Parton, Arturo Sandoval, Lonnie Smith, Mike Stern, Bobby Shew, Byron Stripling, and many others.
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Main Event Schedule Day 1, Wed, Jun 25 Arrivals and Welcome Dinner Evening Concert, 7:00pm: Wynton Marsalis and the JALC Orchestra Venue: Maison Symphonique Festival Grounds and Outdoor Concerts Open 5:00pm to Midnight Day 2, Thu, Jun 26 Lunch Festival Artist Briefing Afternoon: Optional Events / Free Time Festival Grounds Open at 5:00pm Evening Concert, 9:00pm: Arooj Aftab Venue: Club Soda Festival Grounds and Outdoor Concerts Open Until Midnight Day 3, Fri, Jun 27 Lunch Festival Artist Briefing Afternoon: Optional Events / Free Time Festival Grounds Open at 5:00pm Evening Concert, 7:00pm: Chris Botti Venue: Maison Symphonique Festival Grounds and Outdoor Concerts Open Until Midnight Day 4, Sat, Jun 28 Lunch Festival Artist Briefing Afternoon: Optional Events / Free Time Festival Grounds Open at 5:00pm Evening Concert, 7:00pm: Samara Joy Venue: Maison Symphonique Festival Grounds and Outdoor Concerts Open Until Midnight Day 5, Sun, Jun 29 Festival Grounds Opens at Noon Group Dinner & Festival Artist Briefing Evening Concert, 9:00: Mike Stern w/Dennis Chambers Venue: Théâtre Duceppe Festival Grounds and Outdoor Concerts Open Until Midnight Day 6, Mon, Jun 30 Departure Day The 2025 full list of performing artists has not yet been released Highlighted Festival Artists from 2024 Andre 3000, Norah Jones, Cory Wong, Robert Glasper, Kurt Vile, Al DiMeola, Lisa Fischer, Stanley Clarke, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Ambrose, Akinmusire, Marcus Miller, Cory Henry, Dave Holland, Julian Lage, Kenny Garrett, Yussef Dayes, Jason Moran, Chris Potter, Fred Hersch, Aja Monet, Joshua Redman with Gabrielle Cavassa, Joey Alexander, Vieux Farka Toure, Lakecia Benjamin, Orrin Evans |
What's Included Main Event Concert Tickets 5 Nights of Main Event Concert Tickets Educational Component Daily group meetings detailing the events of the day, the background of the artists, musical historical context, artists not to be missed at the outdoor stages, and in depth reviews after main event performances Private Musician Q&A Sessions Using Dr. MacDonald’s deep industry connections we will curate private meetings, seminars and Q&A sessions with professional jazz musicians. Accommodations 5 Nights at the Official Hotel Partner of the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, The Double Tree by Hilton, Montreal, a 4* property including breakfast Food 5 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 2 Dinners Full Time Liaison Thrive Adventures founder and guide Al MacDonald will be there handling all the logistics for the group and will be available to troubleshoot any issues that may arise. Al was a music minor and studied under his father, Rich MacDonald at Winona State University playing in the Jazz Band and was also a member of the 34th Infantry Division Army Band based in Rosemount, MN. Not Included
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Cost
$2,799 USD per person based on double occupancy hotel room $850 supplemental fee for single occupancy hotel room Payment schedule Deposit: $999 due upon registration Final Payment: $1,800 due Mar 15 Refund policy Thrive Adventures will not charge cancellation fees, but we can’t say the same for other bookings like concert tickets and hotel bookings. We will do our best to get your money back to you if you need to cancel. |
Travel Related Information
Physical Requirements
We will be walking from place to place so you should be comfortable walking at least a mile at a time. We may also stand for long periods of time at the outdoor stages, though you are not obligated to attend all the events.
Extending the Trip
Canadian Independence Day is July 1! If you would like extra nights in the hotel before or after the trip please let us know as soon as possible. The hotel will book up completely because of the festival.
Smartphones
Calling, texting and data coverage is very good in Montreal. Each cell service provider is different but most have international call, text and data available for $5-10 per day on arrival without any prearrangement. Contact your personal provider to confirm.
Calling Internationally
Using your phone internationally including texting and calling requires you to add the country code to the recipient's number. Add “+1” to all your important contacts to ensure your calls and texts go through. Hold down the “0” key on your key pad to insert the “+” sign.
Communicating with your Guide
Download “Whatsapp” to your mobile device before departure. Your guide will create a group chat so that everyone is on the same page as you travel.
Credit Cards
Credit cards are accepted everywhere in Montreal and inside the festival grounds! But make sure you check to see if your card charges foreign transaction fees.
Foreign Transaction Fees
These fees are a percentage of the sale amount and can add up quickly. Check with your card provider for specific information.
Cash
As far as we know, all banks do charge foreign transaction fees for making a cash withdrawal on your debit card. That fee is usually a percentage of the amount withdrawn. This is on top of the ATM fee.
Tipping
Tipping 10-15% is customary in Montreal.
Travel Clinic
If you have any health concerns you should contact your personal doctor, but in a pinch, your local travel clinic can advise you.
Travel Insurance
Though we do not require it, in this post pandemic world we do suggest you purchase travel insurance to protect your travel purchase with us. We offer travel insurance to cover things like lost luggage or delayed flights through our partner, TravelSafe insurance provider. Contact us for a quote.
Luggage Scales
As a rule, pack light and leave room for souvenirs. A luggage scale is a great thing to have to ensure your souvenirs don’t cost you overweight baggage fees at the airport.
Electronics Adapters/Converters
Montreal, Canada uses the same power outlets and voltage that we do in the US.
Google Translate
A fantastic mobile application/website that is very handy overseas. You can download languages for use offline.
Currency Converter
Google works but you can also download an app to convert currency offline.
Physical Requirements
We will be walking from place to place so you should be comfortable walking at least a mile at a time. We may also stand for long periods of time at the outdoor stages, though you are not obligated to attend all the events.
Extending the Trip
Canadian Independence Day is July 1! If you would like extra nights in the hotel before or after the trip please let us know as soon as possible. The hotel will book up completely because of the festival.
Smartphones
Calling, texting and data coverage is very good in Montreal. Each cell service provider is different but most have international call, text and data available for $5-10 per day on arrival without any prearrangement. Contact your personal provider to confirm.
Calling Internationally
Using your phone internationally including texting and calling requires you to add the country code to the recipient's number. Add “+1” to all your important contacts to ensure your calls and texts go through. Hold down the “0” key on your key pad to insert the “+” sign.
Communicating with your Guide
Download “Whatsapp” to your mobile device before departure. Your guide will create a group chat so that everyone is on the same page as you travel.
Credit Cards
Credit cards are accepted everywhere in Montreal and inside the festival grounds! But make sure you check to see if your card charges foreign transaction fees.
Foreign Transaction Fees
These fees are a percentage of the sale amount and can add up quickly. Check with your card provider for specific information.
Cash
As far as we know, all banks do charge foreign transaction fees for making a cash withdrawal on your debit card. That fee is usually a percentage of the amount withdrawn. This is on top of the ATM fee.
Tipping
Tipping 10-15% is customary in Montreal.
Travel Clinic
If you have any health concerns you should contact your personal doctor, but in a pinch, your local travel clinic can advise you.
Travel Insurance
Though we do not require it, in this post pandemic world we do suggest you purchase travel insurance to protect your travel purchase with us. We offer travel insurance to cover things like lost luggage or delayed flights through our partner, TravelSafe insurance provider. Contact us for a quote.
Luggage Scales
As a rule, pack light and leave room for souvenirs. A luggage scale is a great thing to have to ensure your souvenirs don’t cost you overweight baggage fees at the airport.
Electronics Adapters/Converters
Montreal, Canada uses the same power outlets and voltage that we do in the US.
Google Translate
A fantastic mobile application/website that is very handy overseas. You can download languages for use offline.
Currency Converter
Google works but you can also download an app to convert currency offline.