The Montreux Jazz Festival has announced the programme for this year’s festival, set to take place between July 2-17, 2021 in Montreux, Switzerland.
The 16-date festival will debut a new stage, Scene Du Lac, which will be built 25 metres from the shore of Lake Geneva.
The 55th edition of the festival has two main stages with reduced capacity this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
UK artists on the bill include Rag’N’Bone Man (July 11) and Arlo Parks (July 15), who will headline the main stage. Nubya Garcia (July 5) will join fellow UK jazz acts Steam Down (July 5) and Alfa Mist (July 10). French music video director and musician Woodkid will perform on July 3.
Rising Irish rock band Inhaler will be the first act to grace the Scene Du Lac stage on the opening day. The new stage will also play host to Turkish psych-rockers Altin Gün, trumpet player Ibrahim Maalouf, minimal pop artist Oklou and Italian blues artist Zucchero.
The Scene du Lac will also feature performances from several Montreux Jazz Festival Spotlight artists, who were chosen at the start of the year by the festival as Artists To Watch in 2021. Priya Ragu will make her festival debut on July 8 alongside Argentine artist Nathy Peluso. Yseult, who picked up the award for the best newcomer at Victoires de la Musique, will perform on July 6.
For fans unable to experience the festival in-person, the Scene Du Lac stage will be livestreamed free of charge via music video platform Qello Concerts by Stingray.
As well as the Scene Du Lac and the Petit Theatre, there are two free-to-watch stages: The Grand Hall of the Montreux Palace, which features jam sessions every evening, and the Palace Gardens, dedicated to impromptu acoustic showcases, DJ sets as well as a beer garden and a cocktail bar.
In total, this 55th edition brings together artists from 14 different countries.
Stage: Scene Du Lac
Date Artists
Fri 2 Inhaler; Annie Taylor
Sat 3 Woodkid (two performances, 18:00 and 21:00)
Sun 4 Hermanos Gutiérrez, Delgres
Mon 5 Ibrahim Maalouf (two performances, 18:00 and 21:00)
Tue 6 Yseult (piano set); Oscar Anton
Wed 7 Sofiane Pamart; Oklou
Thu 8 Nathy Peluso; Priya Ragu
Fri 9 Brandao Faber Hunger (two performances, 18:00 and 21:00)
Sat 10 Sam Fischer
Sun 11 Rag'N'Bone Man (two performances, 18:00 and 21:00)
Mon 12 Zucchero
Tue 13 Zucchero
Wed 14 Altin Gün; Yet No Yokai
Thu 15 Arlo Parks; Arma Jackson
Fri 16 Fatoumata Diawara; Lass
Sat 17 Kid Francescoli; S+C+A+R+R
Stage: Petit Theatre
Date Artists
Fri 2 Raul Midon; Charlotte Grace
Sat 3 Christian Sands 100%; Gaidaa
Sun 4 Crystal Murray; YellowStraps
Mon 5 Nubya Garcia; Steam Down
Tue 6 Roberto Fonseca; Kali Trio
Wed 7 Forq; Sarah McCoy
Thu 8 Jeff Mills & Jean-Phi Dary - The Paradox; Kety Fusco
Fri 9 Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal; Sha
Sat 10 Alfa Mist; Louis Matute
Sun 11 Isfar Sarabski; Imelda Gabs
Mon 12 Fred Hersch; Afra Kane & Valentina Kaufman
Tue 13 Robben Ford & Bill Evans; Alina Amuri
Wed 14 Yussef Dayes Trio; Nnavy
Thu 15 Nubiyan Twist; Amine Mhraihi & Valentin Conus Duo
Fri 16 Macha Gharibian Trio; Hely
Sat 17 Jowee Omicil; Blaer
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