Montreux Jazz Festival © 2016 FFJM - Emiliem Itim
From 30 June to 15 July, sensational youths and breakthrough bands of the moment will punctuate the free stages of the Montreux Jazz Festival. More than 250 concerts, DJ sets, and workshops await festivalgoers at 8 venues, from noon to 5am.
Click here to download the full programme of free events!
Look out this year for: Cigarettes After Sex, Daniel Avery, Flavia Coelho, Cosmo Pyke, Nicola Cruz, Hunee, Jessy Lanza, Gaby Moreno, Pandour, The Pirouettes, Polo & Pan, Roméo Elvis, Schlømo, Andy Stott, Junior Tshaka, Warhaus, Whitney, Yellow Teeth...
The free programming also showcases local artists including more than 80 from Switzerland this year. For the 51st edition of the Festival, Lisztomania takes over from the Rock Cave with an eclectic program steeped in discoveries and indie music.
The Festival's free programming also includes lakeside promenades, with colorful neon lights, bars, and food stands. A new 150-meter-long terrace, overhanging the lake, will make it easier to circulate on the lakefront. The total surface area built over the water has grown from 1500 to 2400m2.
Lisztomania
The successor to the Rock Cave, Lisztomania is the Festival’s new not-to-be-missed venue. Electro, hip-hop, and rock: the program is more eclectic, but still oriented towards discoveries and independent musical forms. The stormy rock of Warhaus will meet the irreverent flow of Roméo Elvis, the sensual dream-pop of Cigarettes After Sex, and the ethereal layers of Jessy Lanza. Don't miss the sunny folk-soul of Whitney and the atmospheric indie-funk of young Londoner Cosmo Pyke.
French pop and electro are represented by duos of the moment, Polo & Pan and The Pirouettes, but also by Franco-Ecuadorian Nicola Cruz, and James Darle from Salut C’est Cool. There is no shortage of Swiss talent, with Egopusher, Melissa Kassab, Muthoni Drummer Queen, Nicola Noir, Pandour, Sombre Sabre, and more! The evenings at Lisztomania, with a capacity boosted to 500, will be extended by DJ sets.
Music in the Park © 2016 FFJM - Emiliem Itim
Music in the Park
Music in the Park is an open-air scene that kicks off early each afternoon. On the opening night, Swiss reggae artist Junior Tshaka will be followed on the Parc Vernex stage by Guatemalan singer Gaby Moreno, who was nominated for Best Latin Pop Album at the 2017 Grammy Awards. Other acts include the wicked Londoners of The Urban Voodoo Machine, the sunny melodies of Brazil’s Flavia Coelho, and the gravelly voice of American blues-rock singer Sari Schorr. Switzerland is well represented by the incandescent folk of Yellow Teeth, the rock and roll of the Basement Saints, and the combination of guitarist André Courbat and Jacob Salem, from Burkina Faso.
In total, Parc Vernex will host more than 70 concerts, including international jazz bands from the States, Australia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Now a tradition, the Singing Hands Day concert – translated into sign language – will be given by Geneva rapper Jo2Plainp. This is also where to go for the Silent Discos, extremely popular during the last 50th edition.
Strobe Klub
Starting at 10pm, the Strobe Klub becomes the place to go for night owls. The late-night programme here includes Andy Stott, Bambounou, Concrete Paris' Schlømo and François X, as well as international stars Bicep, Damian Lazarus, Chris Liebling, Helena Hauff, Daniel Avery, and the poetry of Hunee...
Workshops and competitions
Reflecting on science, music and culture, the workshops offer privileged access to Festival artists. Guests from prestigious institutions like EPFL and the CNRS shed their light on fascinating themes. This year a dozen artists will climb down off the stage to unveil the secrets of their artistry. Chilly Gonzales will be given carte blanche to talk about his music the day after his concert at the Stravinski. Boris Blank, from the duo Yello, will present the application Yellofier, capable of transforming any sound into music. Quincy Jones will reveal a new video-on-demand platform that celebrates jazz in all its forms. Other names include Mike Stern & Randy Brecker, Trilok Gurtu, Sax Summit, Richard Galliano, Bugge Wesseltoft, Federico Albanese, Peter Broderick...
Help 30 young musicians of tomorrow launch their careers at the Montreux Jazz Competitions, world-renowned talent showcases, performed before juries in 3 categories: jazz piano solo, jazz voice and jazz electric guitar categories. Winning the Montreux competitions signifies participation in the Academy, a residential program for the nurturing of talented young artists. The winners will also perform the following year on the stage of the Club.
Montreux Jazz Festival on the lake © 2016 FFJM - Emiliem Itim
Jam sessions and clubbing at the Club
The Club's Jam Sessions bring together musicians ready to play all night long. After the concerts, intrepid newcomers join artists programmed on the Festival stages for memorable moments of improvisation. Twice during the Festival, the muted ambiance of the Club morphs into an ephemeral dancefloor, to the rhythm of electro beats with accents from funk, jazz, and African music (7 and 14 July).
Pool Parties
This year, electro, disco, and funk will set the tune for sunny afternoons at the Casino’s pool parties, from 12 noon to 8pm each Saturday. Pool entry CHF 10.- / Reserved for those 18 and older.
El Mundo
El Mundo: the world of Latin rhythms and sounds. Each day, concerts, Zumba and salsa classes, and DJ sets will have you dancing just a few mambo steps from Music in the Park. Come and discover Cesar Correa, Barrio Latino, and Nolosé, selected by DJ Rumba Stereo.
Food and drinks
In between all this free music, don't forget that you will find over 50 food stands and bars to keep you going - but you will have to pay for these!
Montreuz Jazz free Programme
More than 250 concerts, DJ sets, and workshops
84 Swiss artists
8 free venues
2400m2 of terraces (1500 in 2016)
Over 50 food stands and bars
Montreux Jazz Festival
30 June to 15 July 2017
Click here to download the full programme of free events!
www.montreuxjazzfestival.com
