‘They’ve really gone to town with all that bunting’: the influence and (in)visibility of Glasgow’s Jazz Festival

Glasgow International Jazz Festival has run every year since 1987, making it the
city’s longest
-run
ning music festival. This article, part of an ongoing study into the Festival’s
history, identifies the circumstances in which the Festival emerged and some of theorganizations and individuals involved with bringing it into existence. Drawing on companyr
ecords, publicity materials and press coverage, the article then argues that the Festival’s existence is dependent on an unpredictable relationship with the city of Glasgow (in terms of both its physical environment and its authorities). Glasgow’s post
-industrial regeneration hasbeen based in part on investment in cultural tourism and the infrastructure necessary toaccommodate it, a strategy which the Festival has both benefited from and contributed to. Inmore recent years, however, weakening commitment from local authorities has seen the Festival’s influence in the city diminish and its role in the cultural life of the city become less
secure.