Like many cultural organisations, Cheltenham Festivals is a not-for-profit organisation registered both as a charity and as a company limited by guarantee. It is responsible for the annual Cheltenham Jazz, Science, Music and Literature Festivals. It also runs extensive education and outreach programmes, many to local schools and communities.

Since the launch of the Music Festival in 1945, Literature Festival in 1949, the Jazz Festival in 1996 and Science Festival in 2002, their development continues to rely heavily on the generosity of donations, grants, and sponsorship.

In 2006 the four festivals started to work more closely together under the umbrella brand of Cheltenham Festivals and Donna Renney was appointed as the first Chief Executive of the new organisation. The anvil-shaped marque of the organisation embodies both the tradition of the festivals which stretches back over 60 years with the point of the anvil symbolising the festivals’ desire to challenge perceptions and produce programmes with ‘edge’ and ‘bite’.

Today, Cheltenham Festivals is one of the leading cultural organisations in the country with the four festivals boasting combined ticket sales of over 150,000 and enjoying enviable international reputations as leaders in their own fields.

Each festival features the most up-and-coming, controversial and entertaining performers, showcasing new works, young artists and unique performances, ensuring Cheltenham an exceptionally high profile with audiences and performers around the world.