act: The Montreal Jazz Festival is home to 3,000 artists from 30 countries for the 11 days that it runs - this year, from June 26 to July 6.
Fact: The festival showcases more than 650 concerts, including 376 free outdoor performances, on 20 stages.
Fact: These Montreal stages have been home to the likes of Ray Charles, Diana Krall, B.B. King, Norah Jones, Tony Bennett and many, many more.
Fact: It got the 2004 Guinness World Record World’s Largest Jazz Festival.
Lesson: You would be silly to pass it up.

This year, just as every past year, the festival is better than ever. It's getting kicked off to a great start with one of Montreal's greatest claims to musical fame, Leonard Cohen, performing some pre-festival shows – and it's the first time he's toured in 15 years! If there's anywhere to kick it back into gear, it's the Montreal Jazz Fest.

Although it's called the "jazz" fest, it's easy to see how the numerous concerts provide way more variety than that one, four-letter-word can encompass. Obviously the sounds and melodies stay within the realm of that style, but r&b, reggae, funk, Latin-jazz, Brazilian, Cuban, African, electronica and contemporary influences can be heard throughout the fest, allowing for the unpredictable, genrehopping performances Montrealers love.

In the 28 years that the fest has been around, you could say it has rightfully earned its reputation as one of the best summer festivals around, let alone in Montreal and in the jazz sphere.

One of the most prestigious performers that will hit the stage this year is the legendary soul-sista Aretha Franklin (July 3,4). This will be her first time ever performing at the fest, and it's about time! It definitely took long enough to get Aretha, but the fest has earned it, and so have the dedicated Montrealers, eager to continue this cultural tradition.

Among the hundreds of freebie shows are three "mega-concerts" on the General Motors stage that are sure to be standouts. The first set pays tribute to the legendary poet, singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen featuring performers including Katie Melua, Madeleine Peyroux, Garou, Serena Ryder, Chris Botti, Zachary Richard, Buffy Sainte Marie and Thomas Hellman, who will be singing Canadian Music Hall of Fam singer's songs, many of which with entirely new twists. The second show brings back the DJ who got us up off our feet ten years ago with Drinking in L.A. – Bran Van 3000 hits the stage with his band to get the party started – and Montrealers know how to party. The third show of the highly anticipated series is, last but not least, Guinean sensation Mory Kanté who will knock a little bit of world music into us with his global beats and 15-piece band.