Some festivals follow the times. Montreux has spent 60 years shaping them.
Set against Lac Léman, the Montreux Jazz Festival has built something few events can claim: a legacy that feels both deeply rooted and constantly evolving. What began in 1967 as a jazz festival has long outgrown any single genre, becoming a stage where legends, newcomers, and unexpected collaborations coexist, often in the same evening.
For its 60th edition, running from July 3 to 18, that spirit feels more present than ever.
A Lineup That Spans Generations
This year’s program reads like both a retrospective and a preview.
On one end, artists who have defined entire eras: Sting, Deep Purple, Van Morrison, James Taylor. Names that feel almost inseparable from the festival’s history.
On the other, a new generation shaping today’s sound: RAYE, Tyla, Giveon, Loyle Carner, PinkPantheress, Charlotte Cardin.
In between sit the artists who bridge those worlds effortlessly: John Legend, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Roots, Lewis Capaldi, and Moby (for the first time at MJF ever).
It’s not just a lineup. It’s a dialogue between past, present, and what’s coming next.
Two Stages, Two Rhythms
The Auditorium Stravinski remains the festival’s anchor. This is where the biggest names take the stage and the atmosphere feels almost cinematic.
Just across from it, the Montreux Jazz Lab offers something looser and more exploratory. It’s where genres stretch, collaborations happen, and you leave having discovered someone new.
Together, they capture what Montreux does best: precision paired with spontaneity.
A Festival That Thinks Beyond the Stage
For its 60th edition, the festival also turns its attention to something quieter but just as intentional: its visual identity.
This year’s poster was created by Lausanne-based designer Kevin Germanier, known for his work with upcycled materials and intricate beadwork. This is not just a graphic. It began as a physical piece.
The design was crafted using actual beads and fabric, built by hand before being translated into the final visual. Seen up close, it feels less like a poster and more like an artwork. Textured, detailed, and almost impossible to fully capture on screen.
It’s a fitting choice. A festival that has always blurred the lines between genres now does the same with mediums, letting music, fashion, and art speak to each other.
TLG’s Coup de Cœur
If we had to pick a few moments we’re already circling:
- RAYE (July 3). A bold, contemporary way to begin a milestone edition
- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (July 5). Intense, timeless, and made for Montreux
- Dermot Kennedy (July 8). Raw, emotional, and the kind of live set that lingers
- The Roots (July 11). A masterclass in live performance
- Paris Paloma (July 13). One of those voices you’ll want to say you saw early
- Loyle Carner & Vulfpeck (July 17). A night that could quietly steal the festival
- Van Morrison & James Taylor (July 18). A full-circle ending
And a soft spot for the Lab lineup too. Ben Böhmer (July 9), Selah Sue (July 10), Charlotte Cardin (July 14). The kind of sets that hit differently by the lake.
More Than a Festival
Part of what makes Montreux special isn’t just who plays, but where it happens.
Between the mountains and Lac Léman, with the light stretching late into the evening, the festival unfolds as much outside the venues as within them. You move between concerts, terraces, and passing sounds drifting from somewhere nearby, and the whole thing starts to feel less like an event and more like a rhythm.
That’s what 60 years builds. Not just a reputation, but a ritual.
Get Your Tickets
The Montreux Jazz Festival runs from July 3–18, 2026.
- Insider presale: March 21 at 14:00
- General public tickets: April 1 at 12:00
If history tells us anything, some nights won’t stick around for long.
Header image by Emilien Itim
