What Moldejazz does

Moldejazz is the Molde International Jazz Festival, founded in 1961 and based in Molde, Norway. In 2026 it will host its 66th edition, scheduled for July 13-18 across 11+ venues in Molde city center — including the 5,000-capacity Romsdalsmuseet (headliner venue), 900-capacity Bjørnsonhuset, Alexandraparken outdoor stage, 130-capacity Storyville club, Molde Domkirke, and others. The festival serves multiple customer segments: adult jazz enthusiasts attending international and Nordic headliner concerts, families attending Rabbajazz daytime programming, young musicians aged 14-20 participating in the Jazzlogen youth parade band, and nightlife attendees at 18+ evening concerts. Programming spans traditional New Orleans jazz through avant-garde contemporary work, anchored each year by an Artist in Residence (2026: esperanza spalding, with multiple concerts across the festival week).

The festival's core technology stack is built around the Tickster digital ticketing platform with QR-code-based entry validation, supplemented by TicketSwap for secondary-market resale, and Google Analytics for website measurement. The product portfolio includes individual concert tickets (priced from free to 990 NOK), the Ukespass week pass (4,595 NOK), the AiR-Pass subscription tied to the Artist in Residence (1,795 NOK), year-round Gavekort gift vouchers (2-year validity), and sub-products including Festivalakademiet artist talks, Jazzlogen youth programming, J A M jam sessions, Street Parades, and the Jazzintro emerging-artist competition. Concert photography and video are prohibited across all events.

Moldejazz operates as an independent cultural organization (private, no parent company) under the leadership of Festival Director Linda Melsom and Artistic Leader Magnus Lunay. Revenue is generated through ticket sales (Tickster self-serve + festival-week box office at the Jazzbutikken tent), festival merchandise, gift-card sales, and significant public funding from Norsk Kulturrådet, Kulturrådet, Molde Kommune, and Møre og Romsdal Fylkeskommune. SpareBank1 SMN serves as General Sponsor with naming rights to the Alexandraparken stage and Tuesday family-day programming. Distribution combines digital self-serve ticketing (Tickster, regional scope), gift-card e-commerce (domestic), official resale (TicketSwap, domestic), and direct on-site pass exchange. Operations are heavily volunteer-driven and the festival does not appear to pursue aggressive scale expansion, instead optimizing for artistic prestige and ecosystem depth within its established annual format.

Name

Moldejazz

Legal name

Molde International Jazz Festival

Website

https://www.moldejazz.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Moldejazz is the Molde International Jazz Festival, established in 1961 in Norway, hosting an annual 6-day multi-venue jazz event serving jazz enthusiasts, families, young musicians, and nightlife attendees through Tickster-powered ticket sales, festival passes, and gift cards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Festival Events

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG), Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC), Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)

Keywords

• Jazz festival events
• Live concert tickets
• Music festival passes
• Festival merchandise sales
• Youth music education

Headquarters

HQ city

Molde

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from concert ticket sales across multiple venues and price tiers. Single tickets range from free to 795 NOK. Week passes available at 4595 NOK. AiR-Pass for Artist in Residence series at 1795 NOK. Youth/family discounts available.
2. Festival Merchandise: Jazzbutikken tent for merchandise and pass exchange
3. Gift Cards: Gift vouchers valid for 2 years from purchase date, available year-round

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Moldejazz (Molde International Jazz Festival) is an annual jazz festival established in 1961, now in its 66th edition, held in Molde, Norway. The organization sells digital concert tickets, weekly festival passes, Artist in Residence passes, and gift cards for individual concerts and events staged across more than 11 venues during the six-day festival week. It also operates youth music programs, family-friendly Rabbajazz concerts, artist talks, and a festival merchandise outlet.

Product overview

Moldejazz is a jazz music festival offering a portfolio of ticket products and experiences centered around its main annual festival event. The core offering is individual concert tickets across multiple venues (Bjørnsonhuset, Alexandraparken, Teatret Vårt, Storyville, Molde Domkirke, Romsdalsmuseet, and others). Premium access is available through the AiR-Pass (Artist in Residence pass for esperanza spalding's residency) and Ukespass (weekly festival pass). Supporting products include Gavekort (gift vouchers), Rabbajazz (family concerts), Festivalakademiet (artist talks), Jazzlogen (youth parade program), J A M (jam sessions), Street Parade (daily youth marches), and Jazzintro Finale (emerging artist competition). The festival runs July 13-18, 2026 (week 29).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jazzlogen: Youth music education program with parade band, consisting of 50-70 teenagers aged 14-20 who perform during daily street parades
• Festivalakademiet
• Rabbajazz
• Artist in Residence (AiR)
• Jazzintro

Products and services

• Festival Concert Tickets Digital tickets for individual concerts and events during the festival week (July 13-18, 2026), sold via the Tickster platform. Ticket prices range from free (Street Parade, Festivalakademiet) to 990 NOK (John Legend), with most priced between 100 and 795 NOK depending on artist and venue. Includes youth (ages 6-20), wheelchair, and companion ticket categories.
• Ukespass (Week Pass) Full festival access pass priced at 4,595 NOK including fees, providing entry to the entire festival program across all venues during the six-day festival week. Passes are exchanged for wristbands at the Jazzbutikken tent in Storgata before 18:00 daily.
• AiR-Pass 2026 (Artist in Residence Pass) Artist in Residence pass priced at 1,795 NOK including fees, granting access to all esperanza spalding concerts during her residency, including opening night, the Hjertøya premiere, the Morgengry collaboration with Shabaka, and the late-night performance with ESKA & Melissa Hié.
• Gavekort (Gift Card) Festival gift vouchers valid for two years from the date of purchase, allowing recipients to redeem them for festival tickets, passes, or merchandise. Sold year-round through the festival website.
• Festival Merchandise Festival-branded merchandise sold through the Jazzbutikken retail tent during the festival week and through the Spektrum online store year-round. The Jazzbutikken also serves as the pass exchange point.
• Rabbajazz Family Concerts Family-friendly daytime concert series at Alexandraparken featuring artists such as Jubelblues and Vepsestikk, with separate ticket pricing of 100 NOK for children and 150 NOK for adults. SpareBank 1 SMN's family day on Tuesday includes free concerts and activities for children.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple sold-out concerts per festival year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TickstercoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial ticketing platform partner handling all ticket sales, customer service, and event management for the festival.
• TicketSwapcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial ticket resale partner making secondary market sales safer for fans unable to attend concerts.
• Norsk KulturrådetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational arts council providing funding and support for festival operations and programming.
• KulturrådetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian Arts Council supporting festival through cultural funding programs.
• Molde KommunecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMolde municipality partnership providing local government support and venue coordination.
• Møre og Romsdal FylkeskommunecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty municipality partnership supporting regional cultural initiatives and festival operations.
• International Jazz Festivals OrganizationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network connecting jazz festivals globally for collaboration and artist exchanges.
• Europe Jazz NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network of jazz festivals facilitating international cooperation and artist programming.
• NRK P2minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNorwegian national broadcaster partnership for radio coverage and media promotion.
• Midtnorsk JazzsentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional jazz center managing Jazzintro competition, JazZtipendiat program, and youth jazz education including MUST and Ung Vokal ensembles.
• Norsk JazzforumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational jazz forum organizing Jazzintro competition with festival partnerships for emerging artist showcase.
• Ytre Suløens Jass-ensemblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian traditional jazz band since 1973 providing musical instruction for Jazzlogen youth program through gehørbasert (ear-training) teaching method.
• Molde JanitsjarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal marching band since 1929 administering Jazzlogen seminar weekends and parade operations on behalf of Moldejazz.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Moldejazz