What Serious does

Serious is a UK-registered charity (charity number 1145535) and company limited by guarantee that operates as a creative producer of jazz and contemporary music events and programmes. Founded with the Take Five talent development programme in 2005 and operating for over 20 years, Serious is best known as the producer of the EFG London Jazz Festival, which delivers 300+ shows across 60 venues in London annually and reaches hundreds of thousands in-person and millions online. The organisation is headquartered at Mare Street Studios in Hackney, London, and operates through three corporate entities — Serious Ltd, Serious Events Ltd, and the charitable Serious Trust Ltd.

Its core products span three verticals: Creative Production (the EFG London Jazz Festival, Higher Ground Festival, Thamesmead Festival, and touring concerts featuring artists such as Pat Metheny, Punch Brothers, Rhiannon Giddens, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo); Talent Development (Take Five for emerging UK jazz musicians, Milestones for 18-25 year-olds, and the Equaliser Mentorship Programme with Black Lives in Music for sound engineers); and Creative Engagement (THREADS hospital performances, Pass It On in Pupil Referral Units, Jazz Kids, mass participation projects, and specialist settings programmes). Underlying technology is limited to the Spektrix ticketing platform for direct-to-consumer ticket sales and the Kindera accessible web platform.

The business model combines three revenue streams: transaction-based ticket sales via serious.org.uk and partner venue box offices; corporate sponsorship, most notably EFG International Bank as title sponsor of the flagship festival; and donations and grant funding from Arts Council England, PRS Foundation, Help Musicians, and Youth Music. Customer segments are heterogeneous — individual concert-goers (long-tail consumers), venue partners (Barbican, Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan Hall, KOKO, Jazz Cafe), corporate sponsors, public funders, and underserved community beneficiaries including prison populations, hospital patients, and pupils in referral units.

Name

Serious

Legal name

Serious Trust Ltd

Website

https://serious.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Serious is a UK-registered charity producing the EFG London Jazz Festival (300+ shows across 60 venues annually) and running talent development and creative engagement programmes for jazz musicians, young people, and underserved communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Event Production

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL), Live Music Booking (Bands, Soloists, DJs) (HSACAHAA), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Live music events
• Jazz festival production
• Music talent development
• Arts charity programmes
• Creative engagement workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling tickets to jazz and contemporary music events through their Spektrix-powered website. Tickets are sold directly to consumers with booking fees applied.
2. Sponsorship & Partnerships: EFG International Bank serves as title sponsor for the EFG London Jazz Festival. Additional corporate sponsorship relationships support various programmes and events.
3. Donations & Charitable Funding: Serious Trust accepts donations to support creative engagement and talent development work. The organisation receives funding from Arts Council England, PRS Foundation, Help Musicians, Youth Music, and other charitable bodies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Serious is a UK-registered charity that produces live jazz and contemporary music events, anchored by the annual EFG London Jazz Festival (returning 13-22 November 2026, with 300+ shows across 60 venues in London). It also runs the Take Five talent development programme for emerging musicians, the Equaliser Mentorship Programme for live sound engineers from Black and global majority backgrounds, Milestones for 18-25 year-olds, creative engagement programmes (THREADS, Jazz Kids, Pass It On, Higher Ground, Thamesmead Festival, Mass Participation Projects), and sells tickets directly through a Spektrix-powered ticketing platform.

Product overview

Serious is an arts and music production organization operating primarily in the UK, best known for producing the EFG London Jazz Festival. Its portfolio consists of a unified suite of event, talent development, and creative engagement programmes rather than a software product in the traditional sense. The core offering includes the annual EFG London Jazz Festival (producing over 300 shows across 60+ venues), supported by event ticketing services. Talent development is anchored by the Take Five programme for emerging jazz musicians, the Equaliser Mentorship Programme in partnership with Black Lives in Music, and the Milestones professional development scheme for 18-25 year-olds. Creative Engagement spans Children & Young People (Jazz Kids, London Lineup), Specialist Settings (THREADS hospital performances, Pass It On in pupil referral units), and People & Communities (mass participation projects including Saxophone Massive, Choir Clock, and workshops), alongside festivals such as Higher Ground and Thamesmead Festival. Serious Trust acts as the charitable arm supporting these initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EFG London Jazz Festival: Annual jazz festival produced by Serious
• Take Five
• Serious Trust
• Higher Ground
• Milestones

Products and services

• EFG London Jazz Festival Serious's flagship annual jazz and contemporary music festival produced across 60+ venues in London with over 300 shows, featuring international stars, special collaborations, new commissions, and emerging talent; title-sponsored by EFG International Bank.
• Take Five Annual talent development programme for emerging UK-based jazz and improvising musicians and composers, providing mentorship, collaborations, performance opportunities, and a five-day residency at Cat's Abbey in the Cotswolds; funded by PRS Foundation, Arts Council England and Serious Trust and selects eight musicians per cohort.
• Equaliser Mentorship Programme A partnership with Black Lives in Music providing structured training, long-term mentorship, and paid placements for emerging live sound engineers from Black and global majority backgrounds at the Barbican, Royal Albert Hall, and Britten Pears Arts.
• Milestones Professional development programme for 18-25 year-olds seeking to build a career in the live music industry, providing mentorship, industry connections, and practical guidance.
• Creative Engagement National programme spanning festivals, large-scale pioneering projects, workshops, and free events that engages with diverse artists, participants and audiences, covering the Children & Young People, Specialist Settings, and People & Communities strands.
• Pass It On Music education programme delivered in Pupil Referral Units in Leeds, Bradford, and Brighouse that develops musical ability and supports personal and social skills through positive music-making experiences with world-class artists; funded by Youth Music.
• THREADS: Children's Hospitals Performance A touring 30-minute music and theatrical performance created in partnership with the Great Ormond Street Hospital Arts Team for patients aged 12-18, featuring rapper and beatboxer Testament and exploring interweaving stories through beatbox and freestyle rap.
• Jazz Kids Early years focused music programme aimed at children aged 2-5 and their families, featuring interactive games, music making, and live jazz as an introduction to the genre.
• Higher Ground Festival One-day all-female festival featuring singer-songwriters, genre-defying acts and contemporary sounds at the Roundhouse, showcasing leading international names and DJ sets.
• Thamesmead Festival Free, family-friendly community festival celebrating music, culture and community spirit in Thamesmead, featuring music, dance, comedy, art, food and local crafts.
• Mass Participation Projects Large-scale community music projects including Saxophone Massive, Choir Clock, Make It/Break It, and Jazz Experiments, enabling musicians of all ages and abilities to perform en masse in public spaces.
• Serious Sing Workshops Singing workshops for participants of all ages and abilities, led by professional musicians and singers, focused on learning new styles and techniques, building confidence, and developing singing ability.

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Koestler ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019National prison arts charity partnered with Serious to deliver the first EFG London Jazz Festival concert inside HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs, including workshop programme for inmates.
• HM Prison Wormwood ScrubscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Historic prison venue hosting the first EFG London Jazz Festival concert inside a prison, providing unique performance space in the Grade II listed chapel.
• Black Lives in MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Black Lives in Music on the Equaliser Mentorship Programme supporting emerging live sound engineers from Black and global majority backgrounds. Provides paid placements at Barbican, Royal Albert Hall, and Britten Pears Arts.
• BarbicancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarbican is a venue partner for Equaliser Mentorship Programme providing paid placements for emerging sound engineers, and hosts numerous Serious events throughout the year.
• Royal Albert HallcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoyal Albert Hall is a venue partner for Equaliser Mentorship Programme providing paid placements for emerging sound engineers, and hosts Serious's flagship concert events.
• Britten Pears ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritten Pears Arts provides venue partner placement for Equaliser Mentorship Programme mentees.
• Great Ormond Street HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with GOSH Arts Team for THREADS project - a music and theatrical performance touring to children's hospitals across England.
• KeychangeminorOthersKeychange is an initiative promoting gender equality in the music industry. Serious is listed as a participant/partner on the website footer.
• Black Lives in MusicminorOthersListed as partner in website footer, with commitment to diversity and inclusion in the music industry.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cheltenham Jazz Festival: Annual UK jazz festival produced by Cheltenham Festivals with multi-venue programming across a town; directly comparable to Serious as another flagship UK jazz festival combining headline artists with talent development and community engagement.
• Manchester Jazz Festival: Free-to-attend annual jazz festival spanning multiple Manchester venues, with a comparable mix of emerging and established artists, talent development activity (e.g., commissioned work), and city-wide venue partnerships — closely matching Serious's festival model.
• Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival: Annual Scottish jazz festival presenting multi-venue programming across Edinburgh; directly comparable to Serious as a UK jazz festival producer with multi-venue activation and audience-development focus.

Broad incumbents

• Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club: Iconic London jazz venue and promoter presenting year-round live jazz programming; comparable to Serious as a London jazz presenter with artist-booking capability and brand recognition in the UK jazz scene.
• Barbican Centre: Major London arts centre that presents jazz and contemporary music alongside a wide multi-arts programme and is a key Serious venue partner; comparable as a London-based performing arts presenter with overlapping artist relationships.
• Southbank Centre: London's largest arts centre, presenting year-round jazz, contemporary music, and festivals; directly comparable to Serious in presenting jazz programming at scale in London venues and running large audience-facing events.
• Royal Albert Hall: Iconic London venue hosting the EFG London Jazz Festival headline concerts and Serious programming; comparable as a presenting organisation with overlapping artist relationships and headline-tier ticketed events.

Emerging players

• Jazz re:freshed: Independent UK platform promoting contemporary and cutting-edge jazz through residencies and events; comparable as an emerging jazz promoter with overlapping focus on new/underrepresented British jazz artists.

Others

• Help Musicians: UK charity providing funding and career support to musicians; comparable to Serious as a music-sector non-profit that funds talent development and shares overlapping beneficiaries and funders (e.g., Serious receives Help Musicians funding for Take Five).
• PRS Foundation: UK charitable funder of new music and talent development; comparable to Serious as a non-profit funding ecosystem participant and as a key grant-maker for the Take Five programme.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/seriouslive
• Facebookfacebook.com/seriouslivemusic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Serious