The Montreux Jazzfestival is a two-week event held every summer in Switzerland, on the shores of Lake Geneva. Founded in 1967 by Claude Nobs, the Montreux Jazzfestival has become an essential event over the years, generating fantastic stories and legendary performances. It is one of the most distinguished jazz-festivals in Europe and around the world, and is considered to be the largest jazzfestival in Europe. The festival features popular Indonesian jazz-artists such as Yura Yunita and international jazz-artists such as Arturo Sandoval and Stevie Wonder.
It has more than 3,000 artists from more than 30 countries who perform in more than 650 concerts. The festival is held on 20 stages, including free indoor concert halls and outdoor stages. During the jazzfestival, parts of Montreal will be closed for ten days from noon to midnight to allow for the various outdoor shows being held in different venues at the same time. The Montreal International Jazzfestival is held annually from June to July in the city of Montreal.
It has been a continuous jazzy festival since the early 1980s and has broken the world record, holding the Guinness World Record of 2004 as the busiest jazzfestival entertaining more than two million people. An alternative festival known as the 'Montreal Off Jazz' Festival is also held annually in Montreal. The Montreux Jazzfestival, with its half-century of expansion to include acts of all genres, jazzis remains the anchor that keeps the Swiss festival firmly entrenched as one of the most respected festivals in the world. Oh, and Lake Geneva and the Alps are the backdrop of this amazing event. The first Montreux Jazzfestival was held in 1967 at the Casino de Montreux, overlooking Lake Geneva.
It was a three-day event that featured the participation of the Charles Lloyd Quartet, an American group, along with a dozen participants in a competition for European jazzy artists. Subsequently, it became an annual event and continued to grow both in duration and scope. In the late 1970s, it normally spanned two weeks, from early to mid-July, and encompassed not only jazz—but also an eclectic mix of blues, gospel, soul, rock, and other popular musical genres. This great event was founded in 1967 and today is one of the most popular jazz-events in Europe, attracting artists and jazz-fans from all over the world. This music festival presents a more traditional version of jazzy while exploring other genres of music that are highly appreciated by most of the crowd. This 55th Montreux Jazzfestival was the opportunity for artists and the public to finally come together in the name of music. Held in two adjacent green spaces in the Portuguese coastal city of Cascais, EDP Cool Jazzis is a summer concert series that mixes contemporary jazzy with other styles and sounds, courtesy of several internationally renowned artists.
So charming and historic is the city of Vienne that this jazzy festival is held here every year. Check out Pickyourtrail if you plan a trip during that time; their destination experts are super prepared to help you plan a dream trip to Switzerland so you can experience this great jazzy music festival. And now, with their faith reaffirmed in this genre, here are ten of the best jazz-festivals that Europe has to offer. The oldest jazzfestival in Germany and the largest in Europe has been in operation for more than 40 years and attracts 500,000 visitors every year. With such a dreamlike setting and such moving music, this jazzy festival is something that will give you shivers and a wonderful lasting memory.
