Montreux is a unique festival. It is probably Europe’s classiest music festival. Here is my guide to know what to expect and attend the festival in style, with lots of practical tips.

The whole town of Montreux dedicates itself to music for the first two weeks of July.  I attended the first weekend and wished I could have stayed longer. The village of Montreux is charming and is a great place to hang out for a few days.

Few people know that most of the Montreux Jazz festival is free to attend. Only the two biggest concert halls have a paid program for which you need to buy tickets in advance.

Tip: Buy your tickets in advance, as the price increase last minute when only VIP tickets are available.

The Montreux Jazz Festival lasts for a whopping 16 days, with events every evening. There are no events during the day, so it is definitely a festival for nocturnal people. The festival goes on until 5 am every day!

Free event at the Montreux Jazz Festival

I spent a few hours walking through the various free venues. It was surprisingly hard to find live music. Let alone Jazz Music. The festival has grown beyond being just a jazz festival and offers all types of music, food, and entertainment.

Many of the stages have DJs. If you are into dancing, the Montreux Jazz Festival is a great place as there are scenes with DJs and beautiful lake views everywhere.

Thousands of people enjoyed the lakefront venues and the street vendors’ delicious food.

After a couple of hours of walking through DJ’s stages, I finally found the Super bock stage that had live music. But still, no Jazz to be heard. Joshua Vincent was playing a rock concert to a small crowd. The live music bands on the free stages are mostly unknown artists but are generally of high quality, so it is a great place to discover new talent.

Most of the events are free of charge. In many countries, it would mean chaos. But not in Switzerland. Everything is well-organized. The free areas are crowded but never too crowded. They have taken the whole lakefront promenade and installed scenes and food and beverage stands.

The location is stunning, with mesmerizing views of the lake.

The paid programs and headliner acts at Montreux Jazz Festival

Montreux Jazz Festival has an impressive list of headliners. Most of the biggest artists in the world have played here. Over time, they have diversified from Jazz, with many rock and pop bands playing. This year’s line-up included A-Ha, Bjork, Diana Ross, Robert Plant, and Herbie Hancock.

When attending the paid evening program, you must exchange your ticket for a bracelet before the concert, and the lines can be long. It is best to arrive early to get your bracelet and have ab early diner in the areas along the lake.

Tip: If you become a member of the Montreux Jazz Festival, you can skip the queue. It is affordable (45 Swiss francs for 3 months), and you can become a member here.

The main artists play in the Stravinski Auditorium.

The Stravinski Auditorium is a concert hall for about 4000. Most of the area is standing, but there is a small balcony with seats upstairs. The relatively small size of the auditorium means you get to see stadium-sized bands in an intimate setting.

Tip: If you want to be closest to the stage with a balcony, get a seat on the lateral side on the right. I recommend getting a seat for the quietest concerts, as you will be able to appreciate the music better.

I was very impressed by the sound system and the acoustics of the two concerts I attended.

Unfortunately, they don’t allow drinks inside the concert hall. It was very hot inside, so it made for an uncomfortable time. I stayed watching the bands for over three hours and felt very dehydrated by the end of the two concerts…

Tip: Hydrate yourself before entering the venue, as you will not be able to drink once inside.

On the second of August, Emilie Zoe was a good surprise. The first part of the Nick Cave concert was electro-rock, which reminded me of an early Radiohead with touches of muse lyricism. The main act was Nick Cave. Nick Cave is one of those artists that gets better with time. It is always a gift to see him live. He started the concert strong with indefectible energy. It would be a very different concert than their last tour for the Carnage Album. The concert went from dramatic, intense moments to quieter songs. Despite the high energy of Nick Cave at the beginning of the concert, I found the Swiss audience to be a bit flat, maybe due to the heat and the lack of drinks. Fortunately, Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds were able to wake everyone up and left on a triumphal note.

On the third of August, I got to see Björk with a full orchestra: The Sinfonietta de Lausanne.

I am a fan of Bjork and have always loved her energy and incredible voice. The orchestra concert was very different. No drum, no electronic beat or loops. Only classical music to recreate her most famous songs. It felt quieter than the “regular” Bjork concert and was at some times monotonous but was nevertheless beautiful. Despite the heat, she ended the concert with a standing ovation.

Jam sessions at the Memphis room

Montreux labels itself as a Jazz festival, but finding Jazz was not that easy. I had to wait until the night when I found the Jam sessions in the Memphis room.

The Memphis is located in the Lakehouse, the core of the Montreux Jazz festival. Three floors of venues and entertainment await you. The top floor holds La Coupole and its lake view DJ parties. The middle floor has a library and a cinema showing live music films.

The ground floor is where the fabulous Memphis room is located. It is the location for the iconic Montreux Jazz festival Jam sessions. Many young musicians perform on an open mic stage. What makes it exciting is that you never know who will show up. Any musician can join the stage, and we had some amazing surprises.

Those Jam sessions, in my opinion, make the Montreux Jazz festival unique, so don’t miss them.

Tip: The jam sessions start at 11 pm every day. Arrive before that if you want to get a table as it gets busy. It stays busy until around 1 am. The music continues until 5 am and gets better as the night progresses, so plan on a late night!

Review of the food and drinks at the Montreux Jazz Festival

Great food is on offer. A food street has vendors with food from all over the world. They have installed a cute little table on the side of the lake, making it a great place for dinner.

Fine dining lovers will not be left behind with Foie Gras or Caille on the menu.

Bars are located everywhere on the festival ground and are well-staffed. There was usually no queuing to get drinks. Beers cost 6 Swiss Francs while soft drinks and water were 4 Swiss Francs. Wine and Champagne are also available in most bars.

How to get to the Montreux Jazz Festival?

Montreux is located by the Lac Leman, about 75 minutes from the Geneva airport.

Tip: Public transport in Switzerland is very efficient, and there is a direct train from the airport to Montreux that takes only 60 minutes. Therefore, it is the most eco-friendly and fastest way to get to Montreux.

The festival is a few minutes walk from the Montreux train station, so it is very easy.

Tip: On the way from the ariport to Montreux, get a seat on the right side of the train to get a beautiful view of the lake.

As I wanted to be eco-friendly, I took the train from Belgium to Montreux. It seemed like a good idea, but it was a nightmare in practice. The German ICE trains were canceled and delayed. Unlike airlines, they don’t assist you with rebooking on other companies. You are totally on your own; even getting your ticket refunded is complicated, even if your train is canceled.

I had booked a first-class ticket and spent most of my time seated on the floor in overcrowded carriages. It was horrible. If you think the train will be less chaotic than flying in this post-Covid recovery, think again…

Once in Switzerland, the train was much more efficient.

Public transport along the festival is great with a combination of buses and trains. So if you can’t find accommodation in Montreux during the festival, consider staying in Vevey or Lausanne. Public transport runs late into the night, so you can even attend the late-night Jam sessions at the Memphis.

Where to stay during the Montreux Jazz festival

For the first two weeks of July, Montreux becomes a very popular place to be with all the music lovers attending the festival. Getting accommodation in Montreux is, therefore, hard and expensive, and you must book well ahead.

I booked two months ahead, and most hotels in Montreux center were already fully booked. I ended up staying at an Airbnb with a great location 15 minutes walk from the festival.

The best hotel to stay at during the festival is Fairmont. It is right by the main festival venues and offers a great view of the lake.

If the Fairmont is full, check out the Majestic or the Royal Plazza. They also have a great location near the festival.

Tip: The Jam sessions go until the end of the night, so if you can, get a hotel near the festival. Taxis and Uber are available even in the middle of the night, therefore it is also an option if your hotel is a bit further away.

In concluding my review of the Montreux Jazz Festival

The Montreux Jazz Festival was different from what I expected with less live music than other Jazz festivals I have attended in the past. But it is a great place to hang out and see major bands in a relatively intimate setting. It is a magnificent festival to enjoy the lakeside, the food, and the general atmosphere. The village of Montreux is charming.

Don’t miss the late-night Jam sessions at the Memphis! As the concerts are spread over 16 days, the Montreux Jazz festival is much more relaxed than traditional music festivals, where you can sometimes see 10 bands over 12 hours. It is a great option if you wish to enjoy your days relaxing in Montreux and see great music in the evening. I had a great time and look forward to attending again. Next time, I will plan to be in Montreux for more than two nights!

 

For more festival travels in Europe, check my review of Colors of Ostrava in Czech republic and the Nuits Botanique festival in Belgium.