Will the weather play along? Montreux Jazz Festival ventures onto the lake

The 58th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival kicks off on July 5. This year, fans can expect a lot of new things, as the organizers reveal in advance. With a lake stage and without a Convention Center.

The final touches still need to be made before the 58th Montreux Jazz Festival kicks off. "Preparations are in full swing and everything is currently going according to plan, but this year we faced some major challenges," explains festival press officer Eduardo Mendez blue News.

Mendez is referring in particular to two major tasks that had to be overcome: the new stage on the lake, which already existed in 2021 during Covid-19, and finding an alternative to the former main building.

"Because we no longer have the Convention Centre available due to renovation work, we are losing 15,000 square meters of office, operational and production space. We had to develop a solution and find other suitable locations in Montreux."

No sooner said than done. The festival is different this year, or "reborn", as the press spokesman puts it.

Mendez says: "The set-up is completely new for us in terms of organization, but visitors can also look forward to something completely new."

250,000 visitors expected

And according to the press spokesperson, the organizers are expecting around 250,000 of them over the 16 days. Exact figures are always difficult to gather in advance, but that was last year's visitor record, which they believe they will achieve again this year.

"Ticket sales are going very, very well and we assume that there will be just as many or perhaps even more visitors at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2024."

However, because most areas - with the exception of the Lake and Casino stages - and events are free of charge, it is generally very difficult to obtain a detailed count.

Close cooperation with MeteoNews

Although ticket sales are going very well, it is still too early to speak of a record. Mendez believes he knows the reasons why tickets are selling like hot cakes: "There are several factors at play, but the line-up is certainly one of them. And people's curiosity to see the stage on the lake certainly boosts ticket sales."

The press spokesman reveals that the audience of Lenny Kravitz and co. don't have to worry about bad weather: "The 600 seats are covered and the stage also has a roof." He adds: "If it rains horizontally, Lenny Kravitz will also get wet."

After a brief laugh, Mendez becomes serious again. He is alluding to the persistent bad weather in Switzerland. In Montreux, however, there is a kind of microclimate, which means they are spared many storms. They are optimistic about the upcoming jazz festival and firmly believe that St. Peter will spare them from heavy rainfall.

Soundcheck in MontreuxThe stars sleep in this 12,500-franc suite on Lake Geneva

However, preparations have been made in case of heavy rainfall or strong storms. "We are working closely with MeteoNews. During the festival, we have a man on site who keeps a close eye on the weather so that we can act immediately in the event of an emergency."

Because microclimate or not, with the mountains and the lake, the weather in Montreux can change unexpectedly and quickly.

"And if it rains, there are plenty of covered areas for visitors - or they just have to wear rain jackets like at all the other festivals."

You should make a note of Raye

Eduardo Mendez's personal highlight on the line-up? British R&B singer Raye, whose concert will be shown live on free TV on blue Zoom or streamed on blue News and on the blue News app.

"She's really amazing and a great artist. She also has Swiss roots. We're a bit worried that people will miss out on this great artist because they all want to see Lenny Kravitz, Sting or Deep Purple."

Mendez also firmly hopes that some cool jam sessions will be held again this year. "We have a lot of great artists on the line-up and they are all invited to come to the jam sessions after their concerts."

The jam sessions create a "pretty chilled" atmosphere in a more intimate setting late at night.

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