© Alison Shayler
© Alison Shayler
Chemical Brothers, Mary J Blige & Lionel Richie Top the Bill at Montreux
Montreux Jazz Festival Promises a Great Line-Up for 2015
Where can you expect to find Lady Gaga performing alongside Tony Bennet, or Lenny Kravitz rocking the stage one night and Herbie Hancock the next?
For a "jazz" festival, Montreux is pretty eclectic and always attracts some big names - Prince, Van Morrison and BB King to name but a few have packed out the auditoriums in the past. So... who's on the bill for this year?
Confirmed artists include The Chemical Brothers, Emeli Sandé, John Legend, Sinéad O'Connor, Lady Gaga, George Ezra, Paolo Nutini, Hudson Mohawke, Portishead, Lionel Ritchie, Dub Inc, Lenny Kravitz, George Benson, Baxter Dury, The Kooks, Hot Chip and many others. You can find the official program here.
You can really channel the New Orleans vibe by booking a ride on one of the jazz boats that sail at designated times round the lake with jazz, blues and swing bands performing on board - it's not quite the Mississippi but it's defnitely a pretty cool experience!
As well as all the paying concerts there are plenty of free ones, some outdoors alongside the river and some in bars and other venues on the festival site. You'll hear everything from trad jazz to African samba, so take a wander round and check it out. The festival itself is free to enter; the waterfront is transformed into a huge outdoor music venue with stages interspersed with stalls selling food, clothes, memorabilia and all the usual festival trinkets (such as "funky" hats that you have to have but will most likely never wear again).
Also free are the Montreux Jazz Club jam sessions where all sorts of hip cats and swinging dudes will be letting loose at 8pm each evening - you don't need to pay anything to get in but it is seated only, so get there early before they close the doors.
If the weather is good you can swim in the lake, take out a boat or try your skills at paddleboarding. There are loads of grassy areas where you can chill out with a picnic or a couple of drinks while you soak up the atmosphere.
If any of the paying concerts take your fancy then book your tickets QUICK! The great thing about Montreux is that all the venues are pretty small, so you get to see your idols up close and personal, but it also means that ticket numbers are limited and will sell out fast.
The 49th Montreux Jazz Festival will run from 3rd to 18th July 2015.
