Montreux Jazz Festival Miami
This event has passed.
The shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland and Biscayne Bay in Greater Miami & Miami Beach will have something in common this year: the world-famous Montreux Jazz Festival. The festival, which has taken place in Switzerland every summer since 1967, is coming to The Hangar at Regatta Harbour in Coconut Grove for the inaugural Montreux Jazz Festival Miami on March 1-3, 2024.
History of the Montreux Jazz Festival
The Montreux Jazz Festival was founded in 1967 by Claude Nobs, a jazz enthusiast better known as Funky Claude, to liven up his beautiful but sleepy hometown. He ran the festival for six decades, during which time it grew and expanded exponentially.
It may surprise some to see artists who run the gamut of genres on a jazz festival’s bill, but Montreux evolved as early as the 1970s to present other types of music, including blues, soul and rock.
“Claude wasn’t afraid to invite people who weren’t jazz at all, but they had a musical integrity that allowed Claude to feel like these people belong on the stage, too,” said jazz legend Marcus Miller in the recently released documentary “They All Came Out To Montreux.”
Greats like Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Nina Simone, Eddie Harris, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and countless other household names made the early rounds at Montreux. In more-recent years, artists like Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Sigur Rós, Radiohead, Erykah Badu and Jacob Collier have graced the stage.
Montreux In Miami
São Paulo, Detroit, Atlanta, Singapore, Monaco, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Hangzhou, China have all hosted one or more Montreux Jazz Festivals. Now it’s Miami’s turn for what is expected to be an annual event. Said Montreux Jazz Festival CEO and Director Mathieu Jaton, “As a city of cultural connection, Miami naturally lends itself to the musical diversity that Montreux has become synonymous with. We believe that the waterfront location and the artists performing in this first edition are a true reflection of the original Montreux Jazz Festival experience.”
Montreux Jazz Festival Miami Headliners
Jon Batiste & Friends
Day One’s headliner will be five-time Grammy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist Jon Batiste, who is also the co-owner and artist ambassador of Montreux Jazz Festival Miami.
“I’m honored to play a part in bringing this experience across the ocean to Miami and challenging the borders of musical genres,” Batiste said. “It’s going to be an unforgettable three days.”
You may know Batiste from his time as bandleader and musical director of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Or perhaps from the score of the Disney-Pixar movie “Soul.” Or from “American Symphony,” the Netflix movie about Batiste composing his first orchestral symphony.
Batiste played on the main stage at the 2013 and 2023 Montreux Jazz Festivals and said of his experience in Switzerland, “I was in my dressing room an hour after we finished the show and there were still people in the streets singing the melody from the encore. It’s a moment I will never forget. Montreux is an oasis where musicians come and create.”
Other performers on Day One will include jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, Christian music singer Israel Houghton, Brazilian singer Lia De Itamaracá, pianist Justin Kauflin and Roget Chahayed.
Daniela Mercury
Latin Grammy Award-winning singer, dancer, songwriter and producer Daniela Mercury, who is known globally as the Queen of Axé, will be the headliner on the second day. Mercury has performed at a Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony, sold over 11 million records worldwide and had 14 No. 1 hits in her native Brazil. She performed at the 25th Montreux Jazz Festival in 1993.
Also on Day Two: Brazilian musical artist Seu Jorge, Cuban musician Cimafunk, and Adrian Cota & The Winston House Band.
Daryl Hall
Daryl Hall, lead vocalist of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame pop rock duo Hall & Oates, will headline the third day. With 29 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including six that hit No. 1, the singer and songwriter is a well-known face and voice to fans from the 1970s to today. His chart-toppers include “Rich Girl,” “Maneater,” “Kiss On My List” and “Private Eyes,” among others. Winner of the American Music Awards and member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Hall will soon add headliner at the Montreux Jazz Festival Miami to his list of accomplishments.
The lineup on Day Three also features The Wailers, Cory Henry, Emily Estefan and Mathis Picard.
Jam Sessions And Sunset Concerts
One of the iconic parts of the original Montreux Jazz Festival is its poolside jam sessions. Montreux Jazz Festival Miami will offer its own version with a Legendary Montreux Jam Session beginning at 11 p.m. each night.
Sunset concerts from emerging artists will take place against the beautiful backdrop of the harbor, and curated culinary delights will be available from top area restaurants. Local favorite Dante’s HiFi will also feature a pop-up for VIP ticket-holders.
Tickets and Other Information
The Hangar has a maximum capacity of 1500 guests per evening, so get your tickets ASAP. Single-day, multi-day and Legendary Jam-only packages are available. This is a rain or shine event, and no reentry will be allowed. VIP options will get you into the jam sessions on all three days, expedited entry, lounge access, specialty bars, beverage tastings and more.
By: Roselind Romero | January 18, 2024