DETROIT – The Detroit Jazz Festival, the world’s largest free jazz festival, reached a global livestream audience of more than 2M unique viewers (see graph) during Labor Day weekend according to Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation President and Artistic Director Chris Collins. The data was confirmed by Calmetrics Inc., an analytics service provider based in New York.
Online viewers across the United States and in global markets including Asia, Australia, Europe, Japan and Latin America collectively made up the significant worldwide livestream audience the Festival continues to attract annually. In addition, downtown Detroit saw more than 300,000 in-person attendees gather throughout the weekend to enjoy the diverse audiences, Detroit culture, and free, live jazz music from some of the greatest artists of our time.
Jazz enthusiasts relished the more than 50 performances on three stages on Cadillac Square and in Hart Plaza, which were livestreamed and broadcast “live” for free on the Festival’s website and social media channels (Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, Instagram). Detroit’s Arts and Entertainment Channel, and detroitiptv (an affiliate of the Urban Information Network) also carried the livestreams.
This year’s Festival also expanded its programming to include free jazz performances at the new state-of-the-art Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center, located on the Wayne State University campus.
“We’re grateful to our sponsors, donors and grantors for the support we receive to keep this truly unique Detroit Jazz Festival tradition free and available for all to enjoy,” said Collins. “It’s rewarding to see our mission of jazz, set forth by our Angel of Jazz, the late Gretchen C. Valade, be embraced by the community and witness our efforts cultivate the next generation of jazz audiences in Detroit and around the world.”
About the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation
Under the leadership of President and Artistic Director Chris Collins, the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization that presents jazz and educational workshops throughout the year. The Foundation produces the Detroit Jazz Festival, which is the signature event for the Foundation and the largest free jazz festival in the world. The Festival is also a major tourist attraction for the City of Detroit, with 26 percent of its audience coming from out of state. For more information, visit detroitjazzfest.org.
The Detroit Jazz Festival is supported by the Gretchen C. Valade Endowment for the Arts, a private foundation generously created by the late Angel of Jazz, Gretchen C. Valade. The Foundation also receives grant funding from the DTE Foundation, Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, Kresge Foundation, the Knight Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and Arts Midwest. Hundreds of individuals also contribute to the Festival through membership and donations.
Major corporate partners include Rocket Companies, Carhartt, JPMorgan Chase, Absopure, Kia and AARP.
Media partners include Fox 2 Detroit, 760 WJR, WEMU-FM, WDET 101.9 FM, DownBeat, WRCJ 90.9 FM, Channel 22, city of Detroit’s new arts and entertainment channel; and Detroit PBS.
For more information, visit:
Website – www.detroitjazzfest.org
Facebook — @DetroitJazzFestival
Twitter — @DetroitJazzFest
Instagram — @DetroitJazzFest
