Montreux Jazz Festival: "Pack your swimming trunks!"

What's new in Montreux this year?
We will be expanding the infrastructure on the lake even further. A 50-metre-long terrace will be built on the left-hand side of the building. People will be able to sit comfortably and enjoy the lake and their drinks. And we are offering a "Jazz Strip" of around one kilometer with around 21 culinary experiences from five continents.

Another new feature is "Out of the Box" - what exactly is that?
There are very special locations in the immediate vicinity of the festival site, such as the Abbey of Saint-Maurice, the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, the Hotel Des Trois Couronnes in Vevey and, of course, Chillon Castle. We will turn these historic locations into cool, intimate and tailor-made venues for selected artists. They include Ry X, Federico Albanese, Juliette Armanet, Rhye and many more.

And what is Lisztomania?
This new venue replaces the Rock Cave - it is even more versatile, but continues to focus on new discoveries in the rock and indie genres. While "Out of The Box" is more up close and intimate, this is more the stage for the rock and pop of tomorrow.

Which stars are you particularly proud of that you are expecting in Montreux from June 30?
That would definitely be Tom Jones. Sir Tom Jones! He won his first Grammy back in 1966, one year before the first Montreux Jazz Festival in 1967. 50 years later, he will be performing here for the first time! But I'm also proud of Lauryn Hill: it's her only concert in Europe.

Which concert are you most looking forward to?
Usher and the Roots will be on stage with Trombone Shorty.
Usher is someone who mixed R&B with hip-hop and is very open to music of all kinds. That's what Montreux means on a philosophical level. These connections: musical, artistic and also friendly. This will also be the case for the evening with Erykah Badu, Solange and Sampha.

So Montreux is the festival of open-mindedness?
You could say that. In the music business today, everything is largely organized, formatted and predictable. We try to do more - to serve the cherry on the cake, to set ourselves apart from other festivals.

There are even more cool combinations!
Yes, already on the first evening with Max Richter and Nicolas Jaar. Then also Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys and Bryan Ferry, Grace Jones. Or the performance by Gucci Mane with Lil Uzi Vert and others - the announcement of this event alone made headlines in the USA.

Festivals don't have a dress code. But is there anything you should bear in mind when it comes to clothing and outfits?
A bathing suit!

What moment are you personally looking forward to the most?
Max Richter and Nicolas Jaar (playing at the Auditorium Stravinski on June 30).

What was the most memorable/beautiful experience you've had with the festival?
David Bowie's performance in 2002.

How would you describe your festival in a tweet (max. 140 characters)?
Legends and newcomers from jazz to electronic. Day and night, with a crazy free program since 1967.

Ticketcorner Bog employee and video editor Ruben Assenberg was at the 2016 festival and shared his impressions: