Over 400 free activities at the 57th Montreux Jazz Festival
Concerts, DJ sets, screenings, jam sessions, pool parties and more: the Montreux Jazz Festival today unveils the free programme for its 57th edition, taking place from 30 June to 15 July 2023. The packed and varied programme of 11 free stages is aimed at all audiences, with a strong emphasis on emerging artists. Around twenty different countries will be represented, with 40% of the concerts and DJ sets performed by Swiss artists.
The Montreux Jazz Festival continues its vocation to make a wide range of musical and cultural experiences accessible to all audiences. Once again this year, over 80% of the events scheduled at the Festival will be free of charge. The public will also be able to enjoy the summer atmosphere along the quays of Montreux, with its many stalls, bars and terraces.
Around the Congress Centre, the programme has been designed as a live music journey focusing on emerging artists. The timetable allows you to enjoy four successive performances each evening: from 7pm on the Super Bock Stage (5pm on weekends) in its open-air Biergarten; from 8pm on the ibis MUSIC Terrace with an electro-pop programme; from 9pm at Lisztomania to discover the latest emerging trends, then from 10pm for a final concert on the Super Bock Stage. Evenings go on until the small hours of the morning at Ipanema, a nightclub at the water’s edge, and at El Mundo, the epicentre of Latin music.
Taking over the three floors of the Petit Palais, the not-to-be-missed Lake House is back after last year’s resounding success. This residence offers a multitude of experiences in its different rooms: The Memphis, a stage dedicated to new jazz music, supported by Bank Julius Baer; La Coupole, a nightclub featuring funk, house and disco DJ sets; Le Cinéma, a screening room for films, concerts and documentaries presented with the support of PlaySuisse and La Bibliothèque, a collection of vinyl and books presented daily by guests.
Pool Parties will be back every Saturday at the Casino pool. As for the Audemars Piguet Parallel experience, it will be taking over an unusual new venue on the Riviera, headlined by British band Metronomy.
LAKE HOUSE
The new epicentre of free events, the Lake House caused a sensation last summer. This large three-storey residence, almost a mini-festival in itself, allows the public to wander freely from room to room and immerse themselves in different musical, cultural and festive experiences. Around a hundred musicians, producers, journalists, researchers and writers will be leading meetings, discussions and discoveries, while others will be setting the jazz club or dance floor alight.
THE MEMPHIS, supported by Julius Baer
An American-style jazz club with a bar and round tables, The Memphis, supported by bank Julius Baer, is dedicated to contemporary jazz music. Workshops will be offered at the beginning of the evening, followed by concerts from the greatest sensations of the current scene. The legendary jam sessions will take over until 5am.
Some of the great names of the Stravinsky Auditorium will be taking part in the Festival’s famous workshops. Jon Batiste, Marcus Miller and even Nile Rodgers will be sharing their experience and vision of music with the audience. Drummer Yussef Dayes, a leading figure on the London jazz scene, will be coming to Montreux for a workshop and jam session. On the concert front, the Memphis will be playing host to both newcomers and established jazz talents. The UK scene will be represented by saxophonist Laura Misch, renowned for her electronic explorations, and guitarist Mansur Brown, who embodies the musical heritage of Brixton mixed with the melodicism of George Benson. Known for his work with José James, among others, trumpeter Takuya Kuroda will be performing jazz improvisations over hip-hop beats. On the American side, the Memphis will welcome bassist MonoNeon, who was one of the last musicians to accompany Prince, New York soul singer Danielle Ponder, piano virtuoso Emmet Cohen, and young bluesmen Stephen Hull and Andrew Alli.
LA COUPOLE
The Festival’s night spot, La Coupole will be hosting vinyl-loving DJs with their funk, house, urban and disco sounds. The program has been put together in collaboration with two leading figures on the Swiss electro scene, Mirko Loko (Polaris) and Michel Catanese (Afterseason).
A key figure on the Detroit house scene, Moodymann will be playing two sets, one of which is a tribute to Prince. Major League Djz will be showcasing the hypnotic beats of amapiano, a sub-genre of house music that originated in South Africa. Other highlights include the Italo-disco of Marvin & Guy, the solar electro of Gayance, the French house troublemaker Bellaire, the great performer and mixing genius DJ KOCO and the queens of Berlin-South African house Lakuti and Tama Sumo.
La Coupole will also be hosting a record fair on 9 July.
LE CINÉMA, with Play Suisse
A rich selection of dramas, documentaries and concerts will be sure to satiate the Festival’s film and music fans. RTS’ Play Suisse platform will be offering a daily series of video vignettes featuring Swiss artists. Some forty films and documentaries have been carefully selected in collaboration with a number of organisations from the audiovisual world, including Play Suisse, Locarno Film Festival, Mercury Studios, DreamPixies and Tourne-Films Festival. A number of screenings echo the programme at the Auditorium Stravinski, including films and documentaries on Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop and Gilberto Gil.
LA BIBLIOTHÈQUE
The Library will host two exceptional collections: the largest Swiss collection of books on jazz and contemporary music and more than 1500 vinyl records. All of this will be available free of charge, with the very first Nagra turntable available for listening to these albums. Over 20 books and 40 vinyl records will be presented by journalists, writers, producers, musicians and players from the world of music and culture.
LISZTOMANIA
Created in 2017, Lisztomania is continuing its exploration the most emerging and cutting-edge trends. All styles are represented, from the stripped-down post-pop of Aime Simone to the smooth jazz of TikTok star Laufey, and the gothic indie rock of Canada’s Ekkstacy. There’s a strong Francophone flavour to Lisztomania this year. Rounhaa from Geneva and the Parisian J9ueve are leading figures in what is now known as “new wave” rap. For Zed Yun Pavarotti, The Doug and Valais-based Nuit Incolore, rap is just one of many inspirations for pop, indie and French chanson.
Three artists will perform as part of MJF Spotlight Nights: ENNY, singer and rapper who worked with Jorja Smith, Aron, revealed to the public through the Netflix series Elite, and Saint Levant, an artist with a multilingual flow, blurring the lines between rap, R’n’B and oriental music. Launched by the Festival in 2020, MJF Spotlight is a digital brand dedicated to promoting emerging artists, particularly on social networks and streaming platforms
SUPER BOCK STAGE
Like last year, Parc Vernex will be transformed into a Biergarten. The Super Bock Stage will feature three concerts on weekends and two during the week, followed by DJ sets every evening. An eclectic programme, both Swiss and international, open to all audiences.
From the four corners of the globe, you’ll find Canadian folk duo Ocie Elliott, Ghanaian afro-funk band FRA! and Belgian indie pop phenomenon The Haunted Youth. Ten years after a fiery concert at the Montreux Jazz Café, French artist Mathieu Lescop will be back at the Festival with his new post-punk project Serpent. The Swiss scene is also represented in all its diversity, with the poetic and committed universe of Silance, the pop-soul of Veronica Fusaro, the R’n’B of Naomi Lareine, and the bilingual urban pop of Opération Zéro.
TERRASSE IBIS MUSIC
The atmosphere of the Terrasse ibis MUSIC will evolve throughout the day: a bar and a laidback vibe in the afternoon, followed by pop and electro-pop performances in the evening and DJ sets at night.
Thursdays will be dedicated to silent discos. The programme includes the eclectic sets of Yuksek, the elegant, jazzy electro-pop of Charlotte Cardin, the sunny, electro-tinged songs of Miel de Montagne, the poetic, ethereal world of Paris Paloma, the powerful, intimate voice of Belgian revelation Mentissa and the rock-tinged pop anthems of young British artist Dylan.
IPANEMA
A nightclub on the lake, the Ipanema will see Swiss and international DJs make quite a splash. The place to be to party at sunset or under the stars.
The programme, which is both demanding and accessible, brings together some of the biggest names on today’s electronic music scene, including Munich’s Skee Mask, who has been compared to Aphex Twin for both his virtuosity and his mystical personality; Pablo Bozzi and Kendal and their INFRAVISION project, which fuses Italo-disco and EBM; Chile’s Paula Tape and her versatile sets combining disco and house; the dancehall fusion of De Schuurman from the Netherlands; and the “beast from Rotterdam” David Vunk. The Swiss line-up includes queer and drag collective Genevegas, Zurich’s Celia Winewisser and Geneva’s DJ Laxxist.
EL MUNDO & POOL PARTIES
Latin rhythms and sounds are celebrated every day at El Mundo, from dance classes in the afternoon to lively DJ sets in the evening. The Pool Parties are back every Saturday at the mythical Casino pool, animated by sun-drenched DJ sets.
AUDEMARS PIGUET PARALLEL
Following last year’s success, the Audemars Piguet Parallel experience will once again take place in an unusual, secret location on the Riviera. Three artists with a festive electronic sound will be taking to the stage on 12 July: Turkish DJ Carlita, British band Metronomy and Berlin duo Rampa vs &ME (Keinemusik). Tickets can be won at the Audemars Piguet Parallel space during the Festival (Inside the 2m2c center) and on the MJF Instagram page.
ACTIVITIES AND CONCERT PRESENTED BY THE MONTREUX JAZZ ARTISTS FOUNDATION
Les jam sessions et workshops du Memphis sont organisés par la Montreux Jazz Artists Foundation (MJAF), fondation d’utilité publique créée en 2007. En plus de ces activités, la MJAF poursuit son rôle de révélateur de talents en offrant un tremplin à des musicien·ne·s aux prémices de leurs carrières, dont Ferdi, Bnnyhunna, Naima Jorris et Aimee Gillingswater. La MJAF a également invité des artistes désormais confirmés qui ont bénéficié de son soutien et son accompagnement ces dernières années. Plusieurs alumni de la Montreux Jazz Academy se produiront ainsi en concert : les pianistes Mathis Picard et Amaro Freitas, fellows de l’Academy en 2014 et 2019, et Yaron Herman et Elina Duni, mentors de l’Academy en 2017.
SOCIAL AND INCLUSIVE INITIATIVES
A grand piano will be installed in the Rouvenaz bandstand from 30 June to 9 July, in collaboration with Open Piano for Refugees. The aim of the initiative is to raise the profile of this organisation, which offers music lessons to refugees and socially disadvantaged people. This new initiative is part of a series of social and inclusive activities organised by the Festival over the last few years, including two activities organised in collaboration with Procap: LaVIVA at El Mundo, which enables people with disabilities to take part in an evening accessible to all, and the Singing Hands events, signed concerts for the deaf and hard-of-hearing at Parc Vernex.
LA PROGRAMMATION GRATUIT EN CHIFFRES
• Over 400 concerts, DJ sets and workshops, including 200 at the Lake House
• 11 free stages
• 40% Swiss artists and more than 20 nationalities
• 2000 m2 of terraces
• 55 food stands and bars
