MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL

​For two weeks every summer, the Montreux Jazz Festival joins the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Created in 1967 by Claude Nobs, the Montreux Jazz Festival has become an essential event over the years, generating fantastic stories and legendary performances.

Nearly 250,000 spectators come to the festival every year, enjoying a breathtaking setting, concerts with renowned acoustics and many free stages.

​«You can’t describe it, words don’t do it justice. You just have to come and experience it.»  Quincy Jones

​«Montreux Jazz is for people who really love music. It starts with that, everything else is secondary. Which is rare nowadays.»  Jack White

​In its more than 50-year history, Montreux has hosted iconic performances by artists including Nina Simone, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Elton John and Stevie Wonder. Deep Purple and Prince even helped to write the legend of the place in their songs, while David Bowie and Freddie Mercury came to live in the region and record albums.

​«Montreux Jazz is the original prestige festival. If they invite you here, it is your duty and an honor to come and perform.»  Questlove

​While jazz, soul and blues are at the roots of this event, other styles of music quickly found their place, anchored by artistic encounters and unique experiments. In recent years, Muse, Radiohead, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams, Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, Adele, Lady Gaga, Tyler The Creator, Lizzo, Rita Ora and many more played in Montreux and honored the legends who have played here before them.

​From the very beginning, the festival’s founder Claude Nobs has recorded all of the festival’s concerts using the latest technologies. Under the guidance of the Claude Nobs Foundation, this unique collection of audiovisual archives has been recognized by UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. Through a partnership with EPFL, the archives, including more than 11,000 hours of live music, have been entirely preserved and digitised since 2017.

«This archive is the most important testimonial to the history of music, covering jazz, blues and rock.»  Quincy Jones