About Us

The St. Petersburg Jazz Festival began in 2010 as the SPC Jazz Festival, an event sponsored by St. Petersburg College and nonprofit presenter EMIT, directed by David Manson. 

In 2012, the festival expanded to a city-wide event in St. Petersburg.  Now St. Petersburg College & EMIT manage the St. Petersburg Jazz Festival with support from sponsors including the F.E. Lykes Foundation, Hampton Arts Management, City of St. Petersburg, Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association, Mood Settings Music, Manson/Bolves Attorneys, Studio@620, HuSonics, WUSF, Articulate Creative Pinellas & jazz patrons.

We will expand festival activities every year while remaining true to real jazz programming.  Please join us as we establish this exciting jazz festival in the Tampa Bay area!