Monterey Jazz Festival

Name

Monterey Jazz Festival

Legal name

Monterey Jazz Festival

Website

https://montereyjazzfestival.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Monterey Jazz Festival is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that has produced the world's longest continuously-running jazz festival annually since 1958 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds, serving jazz enthusiasts through ticketed live performances, merchandise, donations, and year-round education programs reaching over 3,000 students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Festival Events

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG), Music Camps (Band, Choir, Instrument Intensive) (EDAMALAJ), Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)

Keywords

• Jazz festival events
• Music education programs
• Live music performances
• Festival merchandise sales
• Jazz summer camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Monterey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Annual festival ticket revenue from 3-day packages and single-day tickets for the Monterey Jazz Festival held at Monterey County Fairgrounds.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online merchandise store (montereyjazzstore.org) selling festival-branded merchandise including apparel, accessories, and memorabilia.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Friend of Festival program accepting annual donations of $150 or more, providing donors with exclusive updates and event invitations.
4. Sponsorship Revenue: Corporate sponsorships and partnerships with festival partners, educational partners, and community sponsors supporting the nonprofit's mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Monterey Jazz Festival is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that produces an annual multi-day jazz music festival at the Monterey County Fairgrounds, supported by ticket sales, sponsorships, and a merchandise operation. It also runs year-round jazz education programs, including a Summer Jazz Camp, Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, regional All-Star Bands, and a Women in Jazz Combo, to develop young jazz musicians.

Product overview

Monterey Jazz Festival operates primarily as an annual jazz music festival (the longest continuously-running jazz festival in the world since 1958), supplemented by year-round jazz education programs. The core offering is the annual festival event featuring multiple stages, headliners, and diverse performers. The education division encompasses summer jazz camps, all-star student touring ensembles (including Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, Regional All-Star Bands, and Women in Jazz Combo), school programs, HBCU partnerships, and community events reaching over 3,000 students annually. The organization also maintains a merchandise store for festival memorabilia. All offerings are coordinated under the nonprofit's mission to celebrate America's jazz heritage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,000 students served annually through education programs

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arts Council for Monterey County (Arts4MC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts Council for Monterey County is listed as a festival partner supporting the Monterey Jazz Festival's community engagement initiatives and cultural programming at the local level.
• Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice Quartet performs at the festival as part of the artistic programming, representing the festival's commitment to jazz education and gender equity in music.
• USAF Commanders Jazz EnsembleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited States Air Force band's jazz ensemble performs at the festival, representing military-arts collaboration and providing educational performance opportunities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Jazz Fest): Iconic multi-day jazz-rooted music festival produced by a nonprofit foundation. Directly comparable to Monterey in format, mission, scale tier, and reliance on ticketing + sponsorships to fund year-round cultural programming.
• Playboy Jazz Festival: Long-running California-based jazz festival with similar headliner-driven, multi-stage format. Directly comparable on West Coast positioning and audience demographic.
• North Sea Jazz Festival: Major international jazz festival in Rotterdam with multi-stage programming and a strong focus on jazz legends and emerging artists. Comparable in format, scale, and curation philosophy.
• Newport Jazz Festival: Historic American jazz festival (founded 1954) operated by a nonprofit (Newport Festivals Foundation). Closest peer in brand legacy, jazz-only programming, education mission, and nonprofit governance model.
• Montreux Jazz Festival: Internationally renowned European jazz festival with year-round programming and a strong education arm. Comparable in scale, brand cachet, premium ticketing, and expansion of festival into multi-format music programming.
• Detroit Jazz Festival: Free-to-attend nonprofit jazz festival in Detroit with strong education programming and a multi-stage outdoor format. Comparable in mission, nonprofit structure, and emphasis on jazz heritage and artist development.
• Chicago Jazz Festival: Long-running civic jazz festival produced in partnership with a city government and nonprofit partners. Comparable multi-day outdoor format with a focus on jazz legends and emerging artists, similar attendee demographic.
• Clearwater Jazz Holiday: Annual multi-day jazz festival in Florida operated by a nonprofit. Comparable in outdoor format, nonprofit ticketing/sponsorship model, and education/community programming.

Broad incumbents

• Live Nation Entertainment: Largest live entertainment promoter globally, producing and ticketing major music festivals. Comparable as an event-driven live music operator, though not jazz-specialized and far broader in genre portfolio.

Emerging players

• Blue Note Jazz Club: Year-round jazz venue and label with multiple locations presenting jazz legends and emerging artists. Comparable in jazz-only programming and headliner-driven ticketing model, but operating as a club rather than a festival.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MontereyJazz
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MontereyJazzFestival
• Facebookfacebook.com/MontereyJazzFestival
• Instagraminstagram.com/montereyjazzfestival
• TikToktiktok.com/@montereyjazzfestival

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 Monterey Jazz Festival