The St. Petersburg Jazz Festival began in 2009 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 that have included the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Tampa Bay Times, Chamber Music America, Bright House, Gobioff Foundation, F.E. Lykes Foundation,  Creative Loafing - Tampa, City of St. Petersburg, Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association, WUSF-FM, Husonics & jazz patrons.

We will expand festival activities every year while remaining true to exciting jazz programming.  The 2020 St. Petersburg Jazz Festival is scheduled February 26 - March 1.  Please join us as we continue to expand this authentic jazz festival in the Tampa Bay area!