MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL

"Where legends are written" is the festival's slogan, confirmed by Deep Purple: the band wrote their tune "Smoke on the Water" when a fire broke out during Frank Zappa's concert, destroying the Montreux casino. The event that put Montreux on the world map! The first edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival, in 1967, lasted just three days, but already featured some big names: Charles Lloyd Quartet with Keith Jarrett, Cecil McBee and Jack DeJohnette, as well as twelve other groups. Today, the festival lasts a fortnight, and its various stages (Auditorium Stravinski, Miles Davis Hall and casino) have seen the likes of Miles Davis, Ray Charles, David Bowie and Massive Attack. Created by Claude Nobs, over the years the festival has become an essential rallying point for music lovers from Switzerland and abroad. While jazz is its historical source, the festival has quickly opened up to other types of music: blues, rock, pop, folk, reggae, R&B, hip-hop, techno, electro pop and more. Most concerts are ticketed and very expensive, but there's also a quality off-festival and free concerts along the quays or in bars. Some artists even continue their show free of charge in these venues after a more formal concert! THE bar to go to: the Montreux Jazz Café, in the Convention Center, the free, danceable festival venue. But each lakeside bar has its own ambience, and the beauty of the setting alone should enliven you. Every year, more than 220,000 people flock to Montreux for this major event. If you wish to stay in Montreux at this time of year, you'll need to book at least six months in advance.