The 57th Montreux Jazz Festival nears its end

There was a collective feeling of jubilation across the whole of Montreux Jazz Festival 2023. Artists came with the desire to surprise and entertain, with even the festival’s most grandiose venues feeling intimate – with crowd-surfing, brilliant moments of improvisation, spontaneous encores, emotional speeches by artists and audience sing-alongs happening around everyone corner. This enthusiasm is reflected in the excellent ticket sales, but it’s these moments of musical magic on stage, of spontaneity and sharing, that is how the true success of this edition can be measured. 

This year more than ever, artists took pleasure in bringing the party atmosphere off the stage and into the audience. Chilly Gonzales managed the feat of crowdsurfing with a seated audience, Seal sang for over 30 minutes in the middle of the crowd, and Juliette Armanet, Chris Isaak and Idles also took the performance to the crowds. Jon Batiste went one further, concluding his concert as a marching band, descending the stairs of the Auditorium Stravinski with his orchestra and dancers and into the street. In a moment that will go down in Montreux Jazz History, euphoric festival goers continued to sing the same melody for almost an hour in front of the elevator that had taken the marching band back to the dressing rooms. And when it wasn’t the artists who came into the crowd, it was the audience who took to the stage. This was the case for Chris Isaak, La Zarra and Iggy Pop – who brought a child from the audience on stage, wearing a t-shirt bearing the MJF 1985 poster. 

The jam sessions once again delivered a spectacle of unique encounters and unrepeatable performances. Sofiane Pamart and Chilly Gonzales improvised an incredible 4-hands performance behind the piano, while Jacob Collier and Jon Batiste pushed back the jam sessions’ end time late into the night with a frantic version of «Can’t Stop Til You Get Enough». Emerging artists such as Stacey Ryan, Ethan Bortnick, MonoNeon and Miel de Montagne all experienced their first Montreux jam sessions. 

An edition at the crossroads of generations 
This year’s edition featured many artists emblematic of a new generation of festival icons. Two of them perfectly illustrate the festival’s motto of ‘where legends are born’: Jacob Collier and Sofiane Pamart. Both recalled that their very first solo concerts took place in Montreux, in 2015 for the former and in 2021 for the latter. Finally back on stage after weeks of enforced vocal rest and following several days of rehearsals at the Casino de Montreux, Sam Smith put on a masterful show. Jon Batiste, who stayed in Montreux for over a week with his family, took part in workshops and jam sessions, in addition to a unique show tailormade for Montreux. Chilly Gonzales, Tamino, Juliette Armanet, Loyle Carner and Swiss artists Bastian Baker, NNAVY and Hermanos Gutiérrez have all become firm favourite of the festival over the years, and once again delighted those in attendance. 

At the same time, a whole generation of artists this year performed one of their last concerts at Montreux Jazz Festival. Gilberto Gil was introduced on stage by Claude Nobs via archive images projected on the screens. Mavis Staples celebrated her 84th birthday on stage to the accompaniment of a surprise birthday song by Norah Jones. And then, of course, Bob Dylan offered what was perhaps his best Montreux concert ever, in an atmosphere of mystical, intimate communion free from all distractions – including mobile phones – an experience appreciated and praised by those in attendance. 

Free stages a huge success 
The free stages were more popular than ever, with many of the concerts and performances generating impressive queues that formed well before they were due to begin. 

Around the Convention Center, the programme was conceived as a live music itinerary, with five or six successive performances each evening, at the Super Bock Stage, the Terrasse ibis MUSIC and the Lisztomania. 

The music continued into the early hours of the morning at Ipanema, a waterfront nightclub, and at La Coupole, with its funk, house and disco DJ sets. Taking over the three floors of the Petit Palais, the unmissable Lake House was once again a resounding success, with its different rooms including The Memphis, supported by Bank Julius Baer, which played its role as the jazz heartbeat of the event. The jam sessions with Clarendelle also caused a sensation every evening until late into the night. 

Box office and f&b results
The Montreux Jazz Festival reached its box-office targets early in the event, despite one of the highest budgets in its history. With an average occupancy rate of over 90% at the Auditorium Stravinski and 80% at the Lab, audiences have rarely been so numerous in the Festival halls. F&B (food and beverage) figures are also expected to be positive, albeit subject to weather conditions during the final days of the Festival. 

Livestreaming
Music fans around the world enjoyed the Festival more than ever, with a record 47 concerts broadcast live and 1.1 million views on the Festival’s Youtube channel. The three most popular artists were Lovejoy (generating 16,000 comments in the chat!), The Rose and Iggy Pop, reflecting the Festival’s intergenerational programming.

A very special closing evening
The Festival comes to a close in style on Saturday evening with a carte blanche show from Mark Ronson, in collaboration with Audemars Piguet. The legendary producer has prepared a tailormade performance featuring musicians who played on Amy Winehouse’s albums as well as a number of very special guests.

Photos credits: Emilien Itim | Lou Barthelemy | Marc Ducrest | Thea Moser | Lionel Flusin

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