Jazz Festival

What Jazz Festival does

Glasgow Jazz Festival, legally constituted as Glasgow International Jazz Festival Ltd, is a Scottish registered charity (SC006649) founded in 1987 that operates an annual multi-day jazz music festival across 20+ venues in Glasgow, currently in its 40th edition scheduled for 10th-14th June 2026. The festival programs international and Scottish jazz artists through a mix of paid ticketed performances and free public events, with the main five-day festival supplemented by an extended William Ellis 'One LP' photography exhibition running through 28th June 2026 in partnership with Street Level Photoworks.

The organization's product portfolio comprises the core festival event, the Scottish Jazz Awards (an independent annual awards ceremony), the Homegrown Showcase (established 2005 to spotlight Scottish jazz talent), the 40 Under 30 strand (launched 2016), and the year-round Youth, Education and Community Fund which delivers jazz workshops and educational concerts to multiple Glasgow primary schools via the Glasgow Jazz Festival All Stars. A co-commissioned piano trio work titled 'Flight Pass' by Fergus McCreadie was developed in partnership with Chamber Music Scotland and Kings Place London, indicating co-production of new artistic works beyond festival presentation.

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit model combining ticket sales distributed via See Tickets, Glasgow Life, Ticket Scotland, TicketWeb, TicketSource, and venue box offices; corporate sponsorships from SM Lighting (Scotland) Ltd, ESP Music Rentals, and Second Line Records; donations and fundraising through the Youth, Education and Community Fund; and public funding from Creative Scotland via The Scottish Government's Expanded Festivals Fund, The National Lottery, Ronnie Scott's Charitable Foundation, and the Cartyne Trust. The 28-person organization operates with no private equity, venture capital, or parent entity ownership.

Name

Jazz Festival

Legal name

Glasgow International Jazz Festival Ltd

Website

https://jazzfest.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Glasgow Jazz Festival is a Scottish registered charity operating an annual multi-day jazz festival across 20+ Glasgow venues, now in its 40th edition, serving jazz enthusiasts, international tourists, school children, and Scottish jazz artists through ticketed events, free programming, and a year-round Youth, Education and Community Fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Festival

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

Keywords

• Live jazz festival
• Jazz music programming
• Music festival events
• Youth jazz education
• Artist showcase events

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

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, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticket sales for paid performances across multiple venues and ticket outlets including See Tickets, Glasgow Life, Ticket Scotland, and individual venue box offices
2. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations through PayPal fundraiser for Youth, Education and Community Fund; accepts donations from supporters to make jazz inclusive
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors including SM Lighting (Scotland) Ltd, ESP Music Rentals, and Second Line Records who sponsor specific performances and events
4. Food and Beverage (Venue Partner Revenue): Venue partners such as Blue Dog offer 20% off food during festival for ticket holders

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Annual multi-day jazz festival operating across 20+ venues in Glasgow, featuring ticketed headline performances, free community events, and an extended photography exhibition. The organization also produces the Scottish Jazz Awards ceremony and operates a year-round Youth, Education and Community Fund delivering workshops and school concerts, supported by ticketing revenue, charitable donations, corporate sponsorships and public grants.

Product overview

Glasgow Jazz Festival is a single unified event product — an annual multi-day jazz music festival (40th edition, June 10-14, 2026) featuring live performances by international and Scottish jazz artists across approximately 18 venues in Glasgow. The festival's portfolio includes the core festival event, the Scottish Jazz Awards (an annual ceremony recognizing Scottish jazz talent), the Youth Education and Community Fund (a year-round educational initiative with workshops and community concerts), and the William Ellis 'One LP' photography exhibition. Tickets for events are sold through external ticketing platforms including TicketWeb, See Tickets, TicketSource, Eventbrite, and Humanitix.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Homegrown Showcase: A program founded in 2005 to showcase Scotland's wealth of talented jazz musicians at the festival.
• Scottish Jazz Awards
• 40 Under 30
• Glasgow Jazz Festival All Stars

Products and services

• Glasgow Jazz Festival (Annual Festival) Annual multi-day jazz festival featuring live performances by international and Scottish jazz artists across 20+ venues in Glasgow, including ticketed headline shows and free community events. Designed for jazz enthusiasts, cultural tourists, local Glasgow residents and visitors of all ages.
• Scottish Jazz Awards Annual awards ceremony produced by Glasgow Jazz Festival celebrating outstanding Scottish jazz artists and contributors, with categories including Rising Star, Best Vocalist, Best Instrumentalist, Best Band, Best Album, Grassroots Promoter, and Critics' Choice. Supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and multiple sponsors.
• Youth, Education and Community Fund Year-round educational initiative incorporating community and educational concerts and workshops that educate people of all ages in jazz music, featuring the Glasgow Jazz Festival All Stars. Delivers school visits to multiple Glasgow primary schools and the Sound Explorers Children's Workshop for ages 5-9. Funded primarily by Ronnie Scott's Charitable Foundation and the Cartyne Trust.
• William Ellis 'One LP' Exhibition

Quantifiable outcome

• 40th edition milestone reached in 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ESP Music RentalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Homegrown Showcase featuring Kai Reesu, GAÏA, Pippa Blundell + Sekoya at The Old Fruitmarket
• SM Lighting (Scotland) LtdminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Mama Terra performance at Oran Mor
• Second Line RecordsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Tao performance at Drygate and Courtney Pine headline show at St Luke's
• Street Level PhotoworkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for William Ellis 'One LP' exhibition running 18th May - 28th June 2026, featuring portrait photography of jazz musicians
• The Savings BankminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue host for Scottish Jazz Awards 2025 ceremony
• DF ConcertsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConcert promoter presenting Theo Katzman at Oran Mor as part of the festival program
• Scottish Jazz ArchivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 40 Years of Glasgow Jazz Festival discussion event, hosted by Professor Haftor Medbøe (Chair of SJA), documenting festival history
• Sauchiehall Street: Culture and Heritage DistrictminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting the 40 Years of Glasgow Jazz Festival Discussion event
• Glasgow LifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBox office partner for multiple events including Sue McKenzie's Sound Explorers Children's Workshop and Colin Steele Quintet performances
• Chamber Music ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-commissioned Fergus McCreadie's 'Flight Pass' piano trio work; McCreadie is Artist in Residence at Chamber Music Scotland
• Kings Place LondonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-commissioner of Fergus McCreadie's 'Flight Pass' piano trio work alongside Chamber Music Scotland
• Maryhill Integration Network (MIN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Glasgow African Balafon Orchestra performance celebrating MIN's 25th anniversary of community building in Glasgow

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• North Sea Jazz Festival: Major European jazz festival held annually in Rotterdam. Comparable as a multi-stage jazz festival featuring international headliners, ticketed concerts, and sponsor-driven revenue model, though significantly larger in scale and attendance.
• Montreux Jazz Festival: Globally renowned Swiss jazz festival, far larger in scale. Comparable as an internationally recognized jazz festival brand with a similar mix of legendary artist heritage, multiple venues, education programmes, and sponsor activation — though operating at a substantially larger scale.
• Edinburgh Festival Fringe: World's largest arts festival, held annually in Edinburgh in August. Comparable as a Scottish multi-venue cultural festival competing for the same UK summer audience, tourism spend, and sponsor/arts council funding pool.

Direct peers

• Love Supreme Festival: UK jazz-leaning music festival held annually in East Sussex. Comparable as a ticketed UK summer music festival with multi-stage programming, sponsor partnerships, and a focus on jazz, soul, and related genres.
• London Jazz Festival: UK's flagship jazz festival held annually across multiple London venues. Comparable as a multi-venue jazz festival featuring international headliners, ticketed concerts, education programmes, and sponsor partnerships.
• Cheltenham Jazz Festival: Annual UK jazz festival run as part of the Cheltenham Festivals family. Comparable in scale, multi-day format, international artist programming, and ticketed/free event mix.
• Manchester Jazz Festival: Annual multi-venue jazz festival in Manchester. Comparable as a UK regional jazz festival featuring international and emerging artists across multiple venues with similar scale and community engagement.
• Celtic Connections: Glasgow-based annual multi-venue music festival (roots/folk/ world music focus). Operates in the same city and venue ecosystem as Glasgow Jazz Festival with comparable multi-venue format, public funding reliance, and winter programming window.
• Edinburgh Jazz Festival: Scotland's other major annual jazz festival, held each July in Edinburgh. Directly comparable as a multi-venue Scottish jazz festival with similar programming mix of international and local artists, ticketed and free events, and public funding support.

Emerging players

• Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club: Iconic London-based jazz venue and the related Ronnie Scott's Charitable Foundation (a key funder of Glasgow Jazz Festival's Youth, Education and Community Fund). Comparable as a UK jazz institution with both programming and educational/community activities aligned to Glasgow Jazz Festival's mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/glasgowjazzfest
• Facebookfacebook.com/glasgowjazzfest
• Instagraminstagram.com/glasgowjazzfest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jazz-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 Jazz Festival