The Montreux Jazz Festival 2026 is underway on the shores of Lake Geneva from July 3 to July 18, celebrating its landmark 60th edition with headliners including RAYE, Sting, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, PinkPantheress, and Deep Purple. For the first time in two years, the festival returns to its iconic venues inside a brand-new Convention Centre. This guide covers the 2026 lineup, tickets, new venue setup, bag policy, and everything you need to know if you’re heading to Montreux in the final days of the festival.
Montreux Jazz Festival 2026 Dates and Location
The Montreux Jazz Festival 2026 runs from July 3 to July 18, 2026, marking its 60th anniversary. This 16-day celebration of music takes place in Montreux, Switzerland, on the shores of Lake Geneva with the Alps as a backdrop. If you’re reading this in the festival’s final stretch, there are still concerts and free-stage programming running through July 18.
For its 60th edition, the festival has moved into a brand-new Convention Centre (the 2m2c, on Avenue Claude-Nobs), housing its two ticketed venues:
- Auditorium Stravinski: The festival’s main headline venue, with seated and standing categories plus elevated Podium Lake and Podium Mountain sections
- Montreux Jazz Lab: The festival’s second ticketed stage, standing-only with Podium South and Podium West sections
Beyond the two paying venues, the festival runs 9 additional free stages and activity areas across the lakeside site, including the Spotlight Stage, Super Bock Stage, Duplex, Nestlé Sunset Stage, The Memphis, La Coupole, La Bibliothèque, Le Cinéma, Paloma Beach Club, El Mundo, and Lilo, plus an Expo 60 MJF exhibition marking the anniversary. Music runs non-stop across the 11 stages from around 2:00 PM to 5:00 AM.
Montreux Jazz Festival 2026 Lineup: 60th Edition Headliners
The 60th edition brings together pop culture icons, emerging voices, and legends of jazz, rock, and hip-hop, with artists from 22 countries. Headliners across the two ticketed stages include:
- RAYE – opened the 60th edition on July 3 with a special “Moments in Time” show alongside guests Alicia Keys and Mark Ronson
- Sting – headline night, among the fastest-selling shows of the edition
- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
- PinkPantheress
- Tyla
- Deep Purple
- The Roots
- Lewis Capaldi
- John Legend
- James Taylor
- Marcus Miller – a “We Want Miles!” tribute to Miles Davis, with Billy Cobham
- Conan Gray and Zara Larsson
- Jovanotti, Loyle Carner, Rival Sons, and Dermot Kennedy
More than half of the 2026 line-up is playing their only Swiss show of the year in Montreux. Alongside the ticketed headline shows, the free stages host hundreds of concerts, DJ sets, and jam sessions throughout the 16 days.
Montreux Jazz Festival 2026 Tickets: Categories and Prices
Tickets for the Montreux Jazz Festival 2026 are sold per concert, with prices depending on venue, category, and artist. As a guide:
- Montreux Jazz Lab: standard shows start from around CHF 97
- Auditorium Stravinski: prices start from around CHF 97 and rise to CHF 167 or more for headline nights (the RAYE opening night and the Sting night both sold out at CHF 147 and CHF 167 respectively)
Ticket categories vary by venue: Auditorium Stravinski offers Category A (seated), Category C (standing), Category L (Podium Lake, elevated standing), Category M (Podium Mountain, elevated standing), and Category S (seated package with open bar and fast-lane access). Montreux Jazz Lab offers Category C (standing), Category P (Podium South), and Category W (Podium West).
All tickets must be exchanged for a wristband at one of the Festival’s “Wristband” stands to enter the two paying venues; the free stages don’t require a ticket, subject to capacity. Tickets are neither refundable nor exchangeable, though they can be resold through your festival account up to 24 hours before the concert. Montreux residents get a 10% discount on tickets.
Venue Opening Hours
- Auditorium Stravinski: doors open 7:30 PM, concerts start 8:30 PM
- Montreux Jazz Lab: doors open 7:00 PM, concerts start 8:00 PM
- An evening box office is open daily from 4:00 PM at the 2m2c main entrance. If a show is sold out, a limited number of tickets may be released the same day, one per person, with the wristband placed directly on your wrist at purchase
Getting to Montreux Jazz Festival 2026
Montreux is easily accessible from major European cities, and the festival strongly recommends public transport, since on-site parking is limited.
By Air
- The nearest international airport is Geneva Airport (GVA), around 90 km from Montreux
- Direct trains from Geneva Airport to Montreux run hourly (about 1 hour 15 minutes)
By Train
- Geneva: about 1 hour
- Lausanne: about 30 minutes
- Bern: about 1 hour 45 minutes
- Zurich: about 2 hours 45 minutes
By Car
Montreux is accessible via the A9 motorway, but on-site parking is limited during the festival. Motorists are redirected via road signs to car parks in Montreux, Villeneuve, and La Tour-de-Peilz, with real-time availability shown on Cartoriviera. Illegal parking is strictly enforced.
Accommodation for Montreux Jazz Festival 2026
There’s no camping on the festival grounds, though several campgrounds are available near Lausanne, about 30 minutes away. For a room in town:
- Book hotels in Montreux well in advance, as availability fills quickly during the festival
- Consider nearby towns like Vevey, Lausanne, or Villeneuve for more availability and often lower rates, all with regular train service to Montreux
- Vacation rentals and apartments are widely available through booking platforms for groups of various sizes
Bag Policy and Security at Montreux Jazz Festival 2026
A mandatory security check is carried out at the entrance of both paying venues. According to the festival’s official rules, the following items are not allowed in the concert areas: umbrellas, bulky luggage or backpacks, glass bottles or containers, cans, water bottles/gourds, spray canisters, food, animals, cameras, audio recorders, seats of any kind, rollerblades, skateboards, pyrotechnics, weapons, throwing objects, tear gas, helmets, flagpoles, banners, and placards. If you refuse to remove an unauthorized item, you’ll be denied entry without a refund.
Other access rules worth knowing: children under 6 aren’t allowed in the concert areas, and anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. An ID is required to access nightlife venues after 10:00 PM. Dogs are not allowed at either paying stage. Once your ticket has been scanned and exchanged for a wristband, you can leave and re-enter Auditorium Stravinski or the Lab freely — but a lost wristband means no re-entry, even with your original ticket.
With bulky bags and backpacks banned from the venues, arriving with festival luggage is a real problem for many attendees. Fortunately, convenient luggage storage solutions are available nearby (more details below).
Essential Tips for Montreux Jazz Festival 2026
- Bring a valid ID and your festival tickets (or have them ready on your phone)
- Pack for both warm days and cooler lakeside evenings
- Free earplugs are available at concert entrances — sound levels can reach 100 decibels at some shows
- Bring cash as backup, though most vendors accept cards and Twint
- An on-site infirmary at the 2m2c (Quai Vernex) is staffed daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 AM
- The festival site is wheelchair accessible, with a dedicated drop-off point, adapted facilities, and accessible ticket options — arrange these in advance via the festival’s accessibility form
Luggage Storage Solutions with Radical Storage
Heading to the Montreux Jazz Festival with luggage? Radical Storage offers convenient, affordable luggage storage in Montreux, so you’re not stuck carrying bulky bags into the venues or across the lakeside site.
Ready to drop your bags? See prices and locations near the festival site and book online before heading to your first concert.
Radical Storage provides:
- Convenient locations near the festival site and Montreux train station
- A fixed daily rate regardless of luggage size or weight
- Guaranteed security with insurance on every item
- Easy online booking via the Radical Storage website or app
- Flexible drop-off and pick-up times
Don’t let heavy bags limit your festival experience — store your luggage safely with Radical Storage and enjoy the final days of Montreux Jazz Festival 2026 hands-free.
FAQ About Montreux Jazz Festival 2026
The 60th edition runs from July 3 to July 18, 2026, in Montreux, Switzerland, on the shores of Lake Geneva, with its two ticketed venues housed in the new 2m2c Convention Centre.
Tickets are sold per concert. Montreux Jazz Lab shows start from around CHF 97, while Auditorium Stravinski tickets range from about CHF 97 up to CHF 167 or more for headline nights.
The 60th edition is headlined by RAYE, Sting, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, PinkPantheress, Tyla, Deep Purple, The Roots, Lewis Capaldi, John Legend, James Taylor, Marcus Miller, and dozens more artists across 22 countries.
No, there’s no camping on the festival grounds. Visitors typically stay in hotels, vacation rentals, or nearby towns, though campgrounds are available near Lausanne, about 30 minutes away.
Prohibited items include bulky bags and backpacks, glass bottles, cans, water bottles, cameras, audio recorders, food, umbrellas, and various other objects. A mandatory security check is carried out at every concert entrance.
Children under 6 are not allowed in the concert areas, and anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. An ID is required to access nightlife venues after 10:00 PM.
Yes, once your ticket is scanned and exchanged for a wristband at Auditorium Stravinski or the Montreux Jazz Lab, you can come and go freely. If you lose the wristband, though, you won’t be able to re-enter, even with your original ticket.
Radical Storage offers secure, affordable luggage storage locations in Montreux near the festival site and train station, letting you enjoy the festival hands-free without breaking the venues’ bag rules.
