From 1 to 16 July 2022, fans of the Montreux Jazz Festival will finally be welcomed back into its two iconic venues, the Auditorium Stravinski and the Montreux Jazz Lab, and will be treated to an array of activities, stages and terraces along the waterfront. An important new addition to this 56th edition is the Lake House, which will be the beating heart of the event. This large three-storey residence will play host to ten enthralling rooms, each offering a unique experience. The line-ups at the Auditorium Stravinski and the Montreux Jazz Lab will be unveiled on Wednesday 13 April at 11:00. Tickets go on sale on 14 April at midday.
After two years of unprecedented challenges, the 56th Montreux Jazz Festival returns to its roots and continues its transformation. Festival-goers will once again experience the auditory pleasures of its two iconic venues, the Auditorium Stravinski and the Montreux Jazz Lab, as well as the electrifying atmosphere along the waterfront and on the terraces. New free stages will pop up, including the Ipanema, an open-air nightclub, the Super Bock Stage and its Biergarten in a totally redesigned Parc Vernex, and a vast array of innovative musical experiences to soak up at the Lake House.
Since its last “normal” edition in 2019, the Montreux Jazz Festival has taken becoming an all-round active ecosystem to a whole new level. Over the past two years, the different entities of the Festival have set up an entirely digital edition, built an incredible stage on the lake, organised two autumn festivals, inaugurated a new Festival licence in China, launched a new vinyl collection, released a documentary mini-series and developed MJF Spotlight, a digital brand dedicated to the promotion of emerging artists. The Lake House will be an incubator for diverse experiences and will embody the Festival’s transformation.
LE PETIT PALAIS BECOMES THE LAKE HOUSE
The main residence of this 56thedition, the Lake House will invite the public to a totally new, immersive and exciting journey into the world of the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Open non-stop from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m., this large three-storey house will play host to ten truly captivating rooms. The public will be able to wander freely through the different environments and enjoy unique experiences in each room, whether musical, visual, festive, educational or technological. With its bars and lounge areas on each floor, this large house will invite you to explore in a lively and intimate setting.
The detailed content of each room will be revealed when the free programme is announced on 1 June. But here is a sneak preview:
1st floor: Every evening until 5 in the morning, the Coupole and the Loggia will be the Festival’s top night-time hangouts, with DJ sets of funk, disco and house. A small, quasi-secret room, L’Alcôve will host a daily podcast with prominent guests.
Middle floor: Kitted out with cutting-edge sound and visual facilities, the Cinema and the Library will invite the public to delve into three outstanding artistic collections: more than 300 Live at Montreux vinyls, numerous videos of Festival concerts and Switzerland’s largest collection of books on jazz and current music. These two spaces will welcome daily encounters with musicians, filmmakers, journalists and writers, shedding new light on literary, musical and cinematographic works. The Boudoir and the Gallery will complete this floor with projects themed around innovation and new technologies.
Ground floor: An American jazz club with its round tables and bar, the Memphis, supported by bank Julius Baer, will be dedicated to jazz music in all its forms. The atmosphere will change throughout the evening, with workshops and creations, concerts by up-and-coming groups and the legendary jam sessions.
THE FREE STAGES AT A GLANCE
The Montreux waterfront will once again come to life with food stands, terraces and bars! The 56th edition will offer five free stages in addition to the ten rooms at the Lake House.
- The Parc Vernex is morphing into a Biergarten! In this festive, open-to-all venue, festival-goers can bask on sun loungers and make use of play areas in the afternoon, and then revel in concerts by emerging artists in the evening on the Super Bock Stage.
- An open-air nightclub, the Ipanema will host emerging international DJs right at the water’s edge. The ultimate place to be for partying at sunset or under the stars.
- The Lisztomania will continue its exploration of emerging trends in all kinds of styles. Concerts every night until midnight.
- The atmosphere of the Terrasse ibis MUSIC will evolve throughout the day: a bar and a laidback vibe in the afternoon, followed by intimate electro-pop performances in the evening and DJ sets at night. There will be 8 concerts on the stage throughout the edition.
- From dance classes in the afternoon to sizzling DJ sets in the evening, Latin rhythms and sounds are celebrated day in day out at El Mundo.
The Festival agenda has been redesigned to bring the night-time action on the busiest days. Only the Lake House will be open every day until 5am. The Ipanema and the Terrasse ibis MUSIC will be open until 2am during the week and 5am from Thursday to Saturday. El Mundo will be open until 2am during the week and 3am from Thursday to Saturday.