The Brandon Jazz Festival (BJF) has announced they will exist no longer after the board of directors issued a dissolution. 

Founded in 1983, the festival has provided tens of thousands of students as well as seasoned performers the opportunity to play before a diverse, jazz-loving audience in Manitoba’s second-largest city. 

"It's always for me a thrill to see the kids and to have them exposed to world-class musicians," says longtime BJF Executive Director Brent Campbell when asked about what he has enjoyed most about the festival.

Following the cancellation of the 2020 Festival just 10 days before the event, Brandon Jazz Festival subsequently cancelled the 2021 iteration. This year's festival was scheduled for mid-to-late March before being cancelled given the ongoing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"We decided that now would be a good time to step away from it and let another organization, BU (Brandon University)... carry on and reformat it," says Campbell. 

The current plan is for Brandon University to take over the administration and running of a new event whose format has yet to be determined. 

 

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