Birmingham ‘could lose beloved Jazz and Blues festival next year’ amid financial crisis

Jim Simpson, the director of the Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival, said this year’s event may be the last unless new funding was found.

Mr Simpson, a former manager of legendary Brummie band Black Sabbath, said previously that Birmingham City Council’s three decades of support had ended after the authority effectively went bust.

He has launched a fundraising page which warned the festival faced an “even sterner position” this year with another backer also pulling out.

“This, combined with the lack of Birmingham City Council funding, has resulted in a total loss of £45,000 for the festival since 2023,” Mr Simpson wrote.

“We are determined to present The 41st Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival from July 18 to 27 this year but we are forced to face the reality.

“If we cannot raise sufficient funding to fill the gap, then after this year the city and its residents and visitors will lose this internationally-known and respected festival.”

He said organisers faced the task of presenting a festival “worthy of our city” with a budget of only £20,800.

The festival hosts performances across the West Midlands and attracts musicians from across the globe.

“Your contribution, no matter how big or small, will make a tremendous difference to keep the festival going and, most importantly, to keep it growing,” Mr Simpson said.

“If you are unable to financially support this campaign, we ask if you would be kind enough to share this campaign to your friends, family, colleagues and anyone else you can think of.”

“Imagine July without the Jazz Festival and the vacuum of silence it would create,” he added. “Imagine the loss of the festival’s economic impact.”

‘Impact on cultural sector’

A council spokesperson said the local authority had been forced to make “very difficult budgetary decisions recently” which would “inevitably have an impact on non-statutory services” including the cultural sector.

“We were not able to provide funding to the jazz festival last year and this remains the case this year, though it does receive funding from other organisations,” they said.

“The council is committed to working with partners to secure external funding in order to continue its advocacy and support to enable Birmingham’s cultural sector to sustain the important work it does within our communities.”

Council leader John Cotton acknowledged culture cuts were a “really difficult decision” earlier this year.

“That said, I think we’ve still got a very vibrant set of cultural organisations in this city,” he added.

“Culture is extremely important for the citizens of this city and we’re going to do everything we can, as a partner with others, to ensure that remains the case.”