Glasgow International Jazz Festival first took place in 1987 and has run every year since, making it the city's longest-running cultural event. One of the company's stated aims at its inception was to 'establish [Glasgow] as a major European jazz centre' (Williams, 1986b). Through a single, historical case study, the thesis attempts first to ascertain the extent to which this aim has been achieved, and second to determine the enabling and limiting factors acting upon the Festival in its attempts to effect change in its host city. The thesis finds that urban music festivals can, under the right circumstances, contribute to positive and lasting changes to the environment in which they exist. In the case of Glasgow Jazz Festival, this is evident in terms of both the physical infrastructure and educational opportunities which would be unlikely to exist today had the Festival not been their champion. A festival's ability to effect such change, however, can be severely curtailed by fluctuating levels of commitment from local and national authorities.