ANDREW SUTHERLAND
A&E REPORTER

Students jazzed about the summer can enjoy free music at some of the biggest festivals Toronto has to offer.

Pride Toronto will feature live music from Cyndi Lauper, Dragonette and The Cliks, among others. (Courtesy: Melissa McCormack)

To celebrate its 30th anniversary Pride Toronto has extended the festivities from one week to 10 days.
“This year we have expanded to Queen’s Park, where we’re going to have a free concert from Cyndi Lauper on July 3,” said Michael Ain, marketing and communications manager for Pride Toronto.
“She’s a huge advocate for LGBT human rights, Cyndi and her team have been absolutely amazing.”
Pride will feature plenty of other free performances including shows from electropop artists Dragonette, as well as garage rockers The Cliks.
Pride runs from June 25 to July 4, covering 21 city blocks, with eight performance stages, and an expected 1.2 million attendees, said Ain.
The annual Beaches International Jazz festival runs July 16 to 25. It features hundreds of free performances from homegrown and international acts like Grammy-nominated saxophonist Jane Bunnett and funk and R&B group God Made Me Funky.
“We offer people a variety of music; it’s not just jazz, it’s blues, it’s Latin music, and world music,” said artistic director Bill King.
The Toronto Jazz Festival runs from June 25 to July 4 and is the city’s largest musical event attracting over 500,000 people annually to more than 40 venues, clubs and stages across the city.
“There’s a little bit for everybody,” said Josh Grossman, artistic director for the festival.
This year ticketed events include piano master Keith Jarrett, multi-platinum artist Harry Connick Jr. and one of the last living legends of jazz, Dave Brubeck.
There are also dozens of free performances from local and international artists.
In a departure from typical jazz acts, this year’s event will also feature performances from hip-hop artists Buck 65 and The Roots.
“There definitely is a conscious effort to reach out to a new audience, but at the same time they’re really good acts, so we don’t feel like we’re sacrificing the integrity of the festival, just spreading the definition of jazz.”