Savannah Music Festival

What Savannah Music Festival does

Savannah Music Festival is a private nonprofit performing arts organization based in Savannah, Georgia, founded in 1989 and operating one annual multi-genre music festival per year. The 2026 season closed on April 5, 2026, and the next season is scheduled April 2-17, 2027, running across a portfolio of Savannah venues including Lucas Theatre, Trustees Theater, Ships of the Sea, Kehoe Iron Works, and Victory North. Programming spans classical, jazz, American roots, and global roots music, positioned editorially as having one of the broadest genre palettes of any comparable festival.

Revenue is generated across four streams: individual concert ticket sales ($20-$100 general admission range, with a $5.25 facility fee per ticket), VIP Weekender Wristbands providing access to up to 30 concerts in 2-day, 3-day, or 6-day configurations, corporate and individual sponsorships (including Critz/Mercedes-Benz, Georgia Public Broadcasting, HunterMaclean, and named performance sponsors), and donations through an Annual Fund and ENCORE donor program, plus merchandise sales. Ticketing is operated primarily through a partnership with the SCAD Box Office, distributing via 24/7 online, phone, in-person, and venue-day-of-show channels. Discounts are layered across seniors (65+), military, students (40 and under for classical), children (6-18), and groups of 10+ (10-20% tiered discount), and the Explorer Pass provides free general admission to all Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools students plus one adult family member. The organization runs two additional year-round educational programs, Musical Explorers and SMF Jazz Academy, under separate sub-brands.

Name

Savannah Music Festival

Legal name

Savannah Music Festival

Website

https://savannahmusicfestival.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Savannah Music Festival is a Savannah, Georgia-based nonprofit arts organization founded in 1989 that presents an annual multi-genre live music festival spanning classical, jazz, American roots, and global roots, serving individual patrons, families, schools, and corporate sponsors via ticketing, sponsorships, donations, and year-round educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Festival Events

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA), Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Live music festival
• Classical music events
• Concert ticketing
• Jazz performances
• Music education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Savannah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue from individual concert tickets, General Admission wristbands, and VIP Weekender Wristbands (2-day, 3-day, 6-day options). Single tickets range from $20-$100 depending on the performance and seating category.
2. Donations and Annual Fund: The festival operates a donations page and Annual Fund for patron support, with ENCORE program mentioned for additional giving.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate and government sponsorships from businesses including Critz (Mercedes-Benz), Georgia Public Broadcasting, HunterMaclean, and various individual sponsors who support specific performances.
4. Merchandise and Shop: The festival operates a shop for merchandise sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Savannah Music Festival is a nonprofit arts organization that produces an annual multi-genre live music festival in Savannah, Georgia. It presents concerts spanning classical, jazz, American roots, and global music at multiple historic venues, and sells individual concert tickets, multi-day VIP Weekender Wristbands, and group ticket packages. The organization also runs community music education programs (Musical Explorers, SMF Jazz Academy, Explorer Pass) and funds operations through ticket sales, donations, sponsorships, and merchandise.

Product overview

Savannah Music Festival is a live music festival organization presenting exceptional performances across classical, jazz, American roots, and global roots genres. The core product is the annual festival season (SMF 2026, April 2-17, 2027), which offers individual concert tickets alongside value-added products including VIP Weekender Wristbands for multi-day access and Explorer Pass for free student admission. The festival also operates community education programs including Musical Explorers and SMF Jazz Academy. Ticketing is managed through the SCAD Box Office system at 216 E. Broughton Street.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Musical Explorers: An educational music program for young students
• SMF Jazz Academy
• Explorer Pass
• ENCORE
• VIP Weekender Wristbands

Products and services

• Savannah Music Festival Annual Season Annual live music festival presenting concerts across classical, jazz, American roots, and global roots genres at multiple Savannah venues including Lucas Theatre, Trustees Theater, Ships of the Sea, Kehoe Iron Works, and Victory North. Open to general music enthusiasts, families, students, seniors, and corporate groups.
• VIP Weekender Wristbands Multi-day festival pass providing access to up to 30 concerts with an exclusive festival experience. Available in 2-day, 3-day, and 6-day options for general admission concerts.
• Explorer Pass Free general admission program for all Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools students to attend Savannah Music Festival shows, with the ability to bring one adult family member. Tickets available with valid student ID or proof of SCCPSS enrollment.
• Group Ticket Packages Discounted ticket packages for groups of 10 or more, with progressive discounts ranging from 10% to 20% based on group size. Includes personalized service and accessibility accommodations. Available to schools, music programs, corporate groups, and other organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 30 concerts accessible with VIP Weekender Wristband
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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.

• SCAD Box OfficecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) Box Office for ticketing operations. Provides 24/7 phone support, in-person box office services, and mobile/print-at-home ticketing options.
• American Traditions Vocal Collection (ATC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partnership with Savannah's premier singing competition for Broadway-themed programming. Features former ATC medal winners and Broadway performers.
• Critz (Mercedes-Benz)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers / Sally Baby's Silver Dollars performance (SMF2026 Closing Party).
• Georgia Public BroadcastingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for Robert Cray Band performance.
• HunterMacleanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for Lucius and Old Crow Medicine Show performances.
• Joseph & Susan DockmanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPerformance sponsors for Lucius.
• Steinway & SonsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPiano provider for Philip Dukes and Friends IV: Schumann & Dvorak classical performance.
• Savannah-Chatham County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership providing free Explorer Pass program for all SCCPSS students to attend general admission shows with one adult family member.
• The ChieftainsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating artists referenced by Le Vent du Nord; Le Vent du Nord has collaborated with The Chieftains in past performances.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• La Jolla Music Society: Southern California nonprofit music presenter running a seasonal series (Summersounds, Winterfest) that combines classical, jazz, and global genres, similar to SMF's year-to-year programming mix.
• Spoleto Festival USA: Annual multi-genre performing arts festival held each spring in Charleston, SC. Highly comparable as a Southeast US nonprofit arts festival of similar scale, presenting opera, theater, dance, and music.
• Aspen Music Festival and School: Multi-genre summer music festival in Aspen, Colorado combining classical, jazz, and other genres with a strong educational component. Mirrors SMF's programming breadth and educational mission, though at a larger scale.
• Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music: California-based annual orchestral festival focused on contemporary classical and crossover programming. Comparable in season-length, ticketing structure, and nonprofit presenting model.
• French Quarter Festival: Annual multi-genre festival in New Orleans' French Quarter presenting jazz, blues, Cajun, zydeco, and classical on multiple stages. Comparable as a Southeastern US nonprofit multi-genre festival of similar footprint.
• Oregon Bach Festival: Long-running Oregon festival presenting choral, orchestral, and chamber music with an educational mission. Similar in format and nonprofit structure to SMF, though with a more classical/choral emphasis.
• Bravo! Vail Music Festival: Colorado summer festival presenting chamber, orchestral, and pops concerts. Comparable as a small-to-mid-size nonprofit music festival with tiered ticket offerings and a niche artistic brand.

Broad incumbents

• Bonnaroo Music Festival: Major multi-genre camping festival in Manchester, Tennessee drawing tens of thousands per day. Comparable on programming breadth and Southeastern US positioning but operates at massively larger commercial scale than SMF.
• Newport Folk Festival: Long-running Rhode Island folk and roots festival with curated programming. Overlaps with SMF's American-roots orientation and presenter-led nonprofit ethos, but at a substantially larger audience scale.

Others

• Savannah Film Festival (SCAD): Annual SCAD-run film festival held in Savannah each fall sharing the same host city, venue footprint, and SCAD Box Office ticketing partnership as SMF—an operational adjacent comparable rather than direct programming competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjBFoLcjIVvww-wCfTdwIWA
• Facebookfacebook.com/SavannahMusicFestival
• Instagraminstagram.com/savannahmusicfestival
• Xx.com/savmusicfest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/savannah-music-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Savannah Music Festival