The 55th Montreux Jazz Festival is set to go ahead, from 2 to 17 July 2021. Taking into account the current guidelines of the Swiss authorities and the uncertainties surrounding this year’s summer season, the Festival has completely reimagined its format. In a Festival first, a stage will be constructed on the beautiful Lake Geneva, with a maximum capacity of 600 seats along the shoreline. Three other stages with a smaller capacity, located in the event spaces and gardens of the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace hotel, will host jazz concerts, jam sessions, workshops and more.
The 55th edition of the festival will operate as a unique hybrid model with an adapted physical event to maintain Covid-19 guidelines and an internationally available digital presence. Through its exclusive deal with video streaming platform Qello Concerts by Stingray, performances from this unique edition of the July Festival will be livestreamed around the world, totally free of charge. Meanwhile, on the ground, this year’s Montreux Jazz Festival will be a more intimate affair, based around its core values of conviviality and musical excellence, set against the stunning surroundings of the lake, mountains and Belle Époque architecture of Montreux.
The artists will perform on four stages, the largest of which will be built on the lake, 25 metres from the shore. It will host a current, eclectic line-up, with a seated capacity of up to 600. The three other stages, two of which will be free of charge, will be located in the event spaces and gardens of the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace hotel. The programme will feature all different kinds of jazz, along with the Montreux Jazz Talent Awards, jam sessions and workshops. There will be a summery vibe in the Palace gardens, with a beer garden, showcases and DJ sets and the terrace overlooking the lake stage, with catering outlets and chill-out spaces open to the public in the afternoon.
Despite a difficult and evolving situation, the Montreux Jazz Festival team is enthusiastically preparing for the reunion of artists and the public, in full respect of the measures that will be in place this summer. The plans revealed today represent the core of the 55th Festival, and allow for a certain degree of flexibility. Depending on how the situation develops, the Festival may be able to step outside this framework, for example by utilising other iconic areas of the town, or working with particular artists on bespoke projects.
Mathieu Jaton, CEO of Montreux Jazz Festival says “We are thrilled to unveil our brand-new format for this year’s Festival, which pursues our hybrid model strategy. Montreux Jazz Festival has always been about creating very special concerts where artists can feel up close and personal with their fans, while sharing these unique moments worldwide through audiovisual content. This year, our stages’ capacities will be even smaller due to Covid-19 restrictions, which will create an exceptional streaming experience for international audiences who can’t come to the Festival. The content will be especially breathtaking from our new stage built above the water on Lake Geneva, with the Alps in the background.”
FOUR STAGES IN UNIQUE LOCATIONS
LAKE STAGE
Festival, a stage will be built 25 metres from the shore, like a peninsula presiding over the lake. This stage will be ticketed and feature an eclectic and contemporary range of artists. Surrounded by the stunning backdrop of the lake and the Alps, two artists each evening will play to a tiered terrace that can accommodate a seated audience of up to 600. thFor this year’s 55
In the daytime, from midday onwards, this area will be freely accessible to the public, offering catering options and chill-out spaces. The infrastructure will be used not only during the Festival, but for tourist activities throughout Montreux’s summer season.
Festival founder Claude Nobs always dreamed of a stage on the lake. Artists and festival-goers have also floated the idea, but it has never come to anything - until now. In a year when everything seems impossible, we wanted to do Claude Nobs proud and channel his favourite saying: “Nothing is impossible.”
PETIT THÉÂTRE
On this stage, groove is king. Dedicated to jazz and soul music, the second ticketed stage for this year’s Festival, with a seated capacity of 300, will be located in the grand Salle des Fêtes at the Montreux Palace. In the truest tradition of the Festival, it will showcase jazz fused with different influences, with a fresh and contemporary feel.
GRAND HALL (FREE)
The Grand Hall of the Montreux Palace will host the unmissable musical discoveries offered by the Montreux Jazz Artists Foundation. This will include jam sessions every evening, the Montreux Jazz Talent Awards concerts from Thursday to Saturday, and workshops, creating a hotspot for creativity and unexpected meetings.
THE GARDENS (FREE)
Open until 2 a.m., the free Palace Gardens area will host a small stage dedicated to impromptu acoustic showcases, which audience members can enjoy standing or seated on deckchairs. Chilled DJ sets, a beer garden, a cocktail bar and food stalls will ensure a summery festive vibe in this idyllic spot with breath-taking scenic views.
PROGRAMME ANNOUNCEMENT AND TICKETING
The line-up will be announced in May, along with access and ticketing details. A precise date will be announced later.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH SITUATION
The format of this edition will be adapted based on the evolution of the health situation, in compliance with the decisions made by the competent authorities. Contact tracing will be in place for each Festival zone (the Montreux Palace, Lake stage area and the Gardens). It will not however be necessary to reserve places for the free activities and zones, which will remain open until they reach maximum capacity.
