Diversity & Inclusion
Festival Guidelines
The Montreux Jazz Festival is a place for sharing and celebrating music without discrimination or judgement. Together, we have the power to make the Festival a caring, pleasant, accessible, safe and respectful place for everyone. We’re counting on you to make it a great festival!
No disrespectful, violent, racist, xenophobic, sexist, ableist, homophobic or transphobic comments or behaviour will be tolerated by the Festival.
You can download the full Festival charter below:
Urban mediation
The fruit of a collaboration between the Jazz Festival and the Commune de Montreux (social affairs, families and youth department), the urban mediation project aims as in 2018 at two objectives in particular:
- Reduce the risks associated with welcoming young people to festive events (with the idea of taking care
to look after them and encourage solidarity between peers); - Calming the public space and reducing infra-penal problems (in order to improve cohabitation between different audiences, as well as the overall Festival experience and limit nuisance in the city).
To achieve this, every day, pairs of social workers and “big brothers” and “big sisters” will go out to meet (young) festival-goers, create links and dispense a benevolent message to reduce the risks associated with inappropriate behavior and abusive consumption. The urban mediation team will be mobile, visible, attentive and ready to listen. In terms of risk reduction, the aim is to limit certain negative consequences without exerting a moral influence on the relationship established with young people, to leave room for celebration and to support their first festival experiences.
Angela
Do you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation? In any of the Festival bars, ask for Angela and our staff will help you get out of it. If you have a problem, you can also contact the Securitas officers on site, the security staff at the entrances to the night-time venues and the urban mediation team (red t-shirts).
Prev’spot
Located on the quayside, the Prev’ Spot brings together various prevention and harm reduction programmes with the aim of providing a place for people to meet and talk, and to ensure everyone has an enjoyable time. The prevention stand is in constant contact with the first-aid post, which is staffed by professionals.
- Be My Angel: Be My Angel is a programme designed to raise awareness among festival-goers about drink-driving and the risks associated with alcohol consumption. Groups of friends who have travelled by car can sign a pledge so that one of them designates themselves as the designated driver – the group’s ‘angel’ – and drives their friends home safely.
- NightLife Vaud : Fridays and Saturdays: NightLife Vaud is a Vaud-based project focused on prevention and harm reduction in the areas of sexual health and the use of drugs and alcohol.
- Drug Checking: Drug checking is part of harm reduction services and is aimed at people who use psychoactive substances. A drug check involves a chemical analysis of the substance and a one-to-one consultation with a professional. The aim of drug checking is to enable drug users to access prevention and harm reduction services. Drug checking takes place at the Prev’Spot stand.
Above all, Prev’ Spot is a place of exchange and discussion in the heart of a festive environment.
FestiPlus Guidelines
The Festival has signed up to the FestiPlus prevention charter and is therefore committed to improving the well-being of the public, by offering access to quality services for the prevention of risks linked to alcohol abuse and other psychotropic substances.
Accessibility
Providing optimal access for all to our spaces is one of our top priorities. Our guests with disabilities will find a dedicated checkpoint onsite. Additionally, in cooperation with Procap Suisse, the Festival organizes free events designed to make music more accessible.