Joe GallopOrganisers of the Montreux Jazz Festival (MJF) in Switzerland said it has developed a new hybrid model to “future-proof” the event post-coronavirus, with performances at all future editions of the festival being made available online.
The festival, based on the Lake Geneva shoreline, has signed a deal with Qello concerts, a streaming service run by Canadian technology company Stingray. The platform already offers content from previous MJF events including performances by acts such as Nina Simone, Deep Purple, Marvin Gaye and Johnny Cash.
Qello will host free livestreams for future events and will partner with the festival’s subsidiary media company Montreux Media Ventures (MMV).
MMV CEO Nick Bonard said, “Streaming is a crucial medium for securing the continued success of the festival. If people can’t come to the festival, we will bring it to them.
“This deal will enable us to adapt and respond more nimbly to the key challenges facing the sector while generating support for the true lifeblood of the Montreux Jazz Festival.”
Separately, MJF CEO Mathieu Jaton announced new initiative MJF Spotlight, designed to help support up-and-coming music talent and address the impact the lack of physical events has had on the emergence of new artists.
Details of the 55th edition of the event are due to be announced shortly.