Montreux Jazz Festival

The Montreux Jazz Festival is a cherished annual event held in the idyllic town of Montreux, Switzerland, located on the picturesque shores of Lake Geneva. The festival commenced in 1967, driven by the vision of Claude Nobs, Géo Voumard, and René Langel, with assistance from Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun of Atlantic Records. While it originally focused exclusively on jazz, over the years, it has evolved to encompass a wide variety of music genres.

During the early 1990s, Quincy Jones played a crucial role in attracting top-tier international artists to the festival, helping it grow into the global sensation it is today. The festival has hosted legendary performances from luminaries such as Miles Davis, Santana, Van Morrison, B.B. King, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, and many others.

Today, the festival transcends its roots as a jazz-centric event to become a world music festival that attracts over 200,000 music enthusiasts every year. It also serves as a significant platform for emerging talent, featuring competitions for solo piano, guitar, and voice, in addition to opportunities for student groups to showcase their skills.

Throughout its storied history, more than 1,300 artists have performed at the Montreux stage, including memorable sets by Herbie Hancock and B.B. King. Numerous performances have been immortalized on DVD and Blu-ray, and many artists, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Dylan, Sting, and Yes, have recorded live albums at the festival.

With its rich legacy and dedication to spotlighting a diverse array of musical talents, the Montreux Jazz Festival continues to be a cornerstone of the global music scene.