The 57th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival – an iconic annual Swiss music festival that’s been going strong for over half a decade – was held this July. Spaced over sixteen days, it attracted an impressive 250,000 festival-goers. Artists aimed to surprise and entertain them above all else.
Over the years, Montreux has played host to iconic performances by world-famous acts such as Nina Simone, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder. Deep Purple and Prince even immortalized the legend of the festival in their songs, while David Bowie and Freddie Mercury came to live in the region and record albums here.
This year was no different, with familiar faces and greats such as Chris Isaak, La Zarra, Iggy Pop, Jacob Collier, Sofiance Pamart, Norah Jones, Bob Dylan, Sam Smith, Jon Batiste, Loyle Carner, Chilly Gonzales, Bastian Baker, NNAVY, Hermanos Gutiérrez, Tamino, Juliette Armanet, Seal, Idles, and Tom Odell gracing the stages. Yet, even the most impressive performances felt somewhat intimate and cosy, with crowd surfing, in-audience performances, and audience members invited to the stage a common occurrence.
Besides star-studded acts, the festival features tempting street food stands, famous concert halls like Auditorium Stravinski, luxurious partner & sponsor lounges, fun evening jam sessions, after-parties, DJ sets, and more. And all this in the gorgeous settings of the Swiss Riviera, with the lake, mountains, palms, and flowers on Montreux playing backdrop. The free stages were the biggest draw of the festival, forming long pre-performance queues early on.
Yes, with five or six consecutive performances scheduled per night, the Super Bock Stage, Terrasse ibis MUSIC, and the Lisztomania were busy! Afterwards, guests partied the night and early hours of the morning away at Ipanema, a waterfront nightclub, and La Coupole, where funk, house and disco DJ sets dominated. Overall, Montreux Jazz Festival 2023 was a great success.
Photos: Montreux Jazz Festival
