The Montreux Jazz Festival unveils its free 2026 program

Every year, the MJF pampers its free programming with the same standards as the paid scenes.image: montreux jazz/watson

Were you impatiently waiting for it? Us too! The Montreux Jazz Festival unveiled its free offer this Wednesday, and there will be plenty to do: more than 700 free activities, 140 concerts, 12 stages and hundreds of artists from all over the world. Suffice to say that the program on the docks promises to be XXL.

With more than 700 free activities spread over 12 stages and 16 days of festivities, the Montreux Jazz Festival once again intends to make its free offer one of its main assets. Concerts, DJ sets, workshops, screenings, karaoke, dance classes and even jam sessions will take over the quays of the Riviera and the renovated Conference Center from July 3 to 18, 2026.

On the Spotlight Stage

Among the most anticipated events is the Spotlight Stage, which has become the showcase for emerging artists defended by the MJF Spotlight platform. Installed in the open air to the east of the festival site, continuing the route leading to the landing stage, this stage highlights the pop, rap and urban trends of the moment.

Singer Theodora last year, on the MJF Spotlight Stage.Image: KEYSTONE

The program brings together several rising figures on the French-speaking scene. The public will be able to discover Zélie, one of the French pop revelations of recent years, Ebony, notable finalist of the Star Academy 2024, or even Piche, singer-rapper revealed by Drag Race France. French-speaking Switzerland will be represented by A6el, originally from Renens, whose song Soleil has circulated widely on TikTok and streaming platforms.

The stage will also welcome several international artists on the rise, including the American Chezile, who went viral thanks to his title Beaniethe Palestinian-Jordanian singer Zeyne or the Mexican group Midnight Generation, whose disco-funk sounds sometimes evoke Parcels.

Other free scenes

Around this flagship stage, the other free spaces of the festival also display a well-marked identity. Installed in the Petit Palais, the Lake House returns for a fifth edition with its “festival within a festival” concept, combining concerts, screenings, workshops and parties until the end of the night.

Its beating heart remains The Memphis, dedicated to jazz in all its forms, between concerts, meetings with artists like Charles Lloyd, Marcus Miller and Gregory Porter and legendary nighttime jam sessions.

Zac Harmon sur la scène The Memphis, en 2022.image: montreux jazz festival

La Coupole will focus on club music with house, disco, funk and amapiano programming carried out in particular by Lil Louis, TSHA and DBN Gogo.

At Parc Suisse, the Super Bock Stage will offer an eclectic line-up ranging from rock to reggae through folk, country and rap, with a strong Swiss presence. Finally, the Nestlé Sunset Stage will accompany each sunset with a selection of emerging artists from the pop, soul and electro scene in a more intimate atmosphere facing the lake.

The Australian group performs on the Super Bock Stage on July 8, 2025.Image: KEYSTONE

The 2026 edition will also be marked by several new features. Le Duplex, a new electronic club installed on two floors of 2m2c, promises immersion in current dance music.

At Parc Vernex, Paloma will transform the quays into a beach club with restaurant, cocktails and an ephemeral beach. Finally, an exhibition called “Putting Montreux on the Map” will look back on the 60 years of history of the festival through archives and objects rarely presented to the public.

With 55% Swiss artists, more than 48 nationalities represented and some 140 free concerts, the Montreux Jazz Festival confirms its ambition to make music an event accessible to all, well beyond its paid stages. (mbr)

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