The 59th Montreux Jazz Festival opens

The 59th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival opens its doors today. The first notes on the iconic Lake Stage will ring out in celebration of Quincy Jones, with a one-of-a-kind tribute led by Chaka Khan and a constellation of special guests. From 4 to 19 July, the Lake Stage will offer its final moments of magic before the Festival returns to the Montreux Convention Centre in 2026 for its landmark 60th edition. Fans around the globe will be able to tune in remotely, with a curated selection of live concerts streamed for free on YouTube.

There could be no more fitting way to open this year’s Festival than with a celebration of Quincy Jones’s extraordinary legacy. The maestro, who passed away last November, will be honoured in a dazzling performance on the Lake Stage. Headlining the evening is the legendary Chaka Khan — a longtime friend and protégé of “Q” — joined by a host of special guests who have shared the stage with him in Montreux and beyond. This exclusive concert, created especially for Montreux, will be streamed worldwide as part of the Festival’s live programme (details below).

Over on the storied Casino Stage, British sonic craftsman James Blake returns to Montreux for his fifth appearance — this time for a solo piano set, fulfilling a personal dream he expressed in a 2016 interview. Opening the evening is rising star Sienna Spiro, one of the 20 up-and-coming artists featured in the MJF Spotlight programme, following a standout performance in Villars earlier this year.

From 6pm, the free programme comes to life across the Festival’s waterfront stages, with a vibrant offering of DJ sets, concerts, workshops, film screenings and more. Each day, over thirty different events will animate the Montreux lakeside, offering something for every curious ear.

Live from Montreux: Global Streaming for a Global Audience
True to its mission of broadening access to live music, the Montreux Jazz Festival will stream a wide selection of this year’s concerts free of charge around the world. Produced by Montreux Media Ventures and curated by artistic director Yann Orhan, the broadcasts are created in close collaboration with the artists to ensure a faithful reflection of their unique sonic and visual worlds.

Music lovers everywhere will be able to enjoy live performances via the Festival’s official YouTube channel. Featured concerts include* : Chaka Khan, London Grammar, RAYE, Benson Boone, The Black Keys, FKA twigs, Alanis Morissette, RÜFÜS DU SOL, J Balvin, Bloc Party, Joe Bonamassa, Celeste…

montreuxjazzfestival.com