Montreux Jazz Festival #59 closes with an emotional farewell to the Lake Stage

The 59th Montreux Jazz Festival wrapped up on Saturday, July 19, drawing over 250,000 visitors to the lakeside town and marking the final concert on the Scène du Lac.

Held outside the Convention Center for the second year running, the festival achieved a remarkable 92% average occupancy across its two ticketed venues, with 25 sold-out shows. 

A total of 700 concerts and activities took place, including free performances across 13 outdoor stages. The newly launched Spotlight Stage for emerging artists was a standout success, selling out most nights.

Food and beverage sales reached a record high, and livestreams of 21 Lake Stage concerts generated over 7.5 million views online.

Headline performances included Diana Ross, RAYE, Pulp, Grace Jones, FKA twigs, Chaka Khan, Neil Young and Benson Boone, who iconically ended his set by diving into Lake Geneva. “This place is magical,” he said. “Mark my words: in the next 10 years, I’m going to live in Montreux.”

The festival will return to a renovated Montreux Convention Center for its 60th edition in 2026. 

 

 

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