There’s a running joke about the lack of jazz and blues artists booked to play Montreux Jazz Festival, with pop, indie and rock acts all materialising on the lineup over the years. But tell that to this year’s performers, including Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa and Marcus Miller, or to any of the younger talents who use the genres as a blueprint for their own work, and you’ll likely end up with œuf on your face.
For two weeks each year, the postcard-pretty town of Montreux is transformed into a sort of Neverland for musicians. Surrounded by the dramatic peaks of the Swiss Alps and overlooking the glorious blue waters of Lac Léman, this year’s festival hosts artists from Bob Dylan to Lil Nas X. The musicians play across multiple stages, including the storied 4,000-capacity Stravinsky Auditorium and the intimate Miles Davis Jazz Lab.
