Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival is making dozens of performances from the fest’s history available to watch for free.

The offerings include concerts from Nina Simone (1976), Lou Reed (2000), Johnny Cash (1994), Marvin Gaye (1980), and Wu-Tang Clan (2007). Learn more below and check out the concerts at Stingray Qello.

The 2020 Montreux Jazz Festival is scheduled to take place July 3–18. In a statement, the Festival management said it “is closely assessing developments in conjunction with both the authorities and those involved in the organization of the event,” and that the “team is, therefore, continuing its work, in hope and humility, to enable this year’s Festival to happen under the best possible conditions.”

You can read the full letter below.

Dear Festival-goers, ⠀

The Festival team was looking forward to unveiling today the line-up of its 54th edition. But given the exceptional circumstances we are all currently facing, we have decided to postpone this announcement and will communicate the new date as soon as possible.⠀

Concerned by the seriousness of the situation and mindful of its evolution, the Festival management is closely assessing developments in conjunction with both the authorities and those involved in the organisation of the event. To date, the holding of the Festival, from 3 to 18 July 2020, is not compromised. Our team is therefore continuing its work, in hope and humility, to enable this year’s Festival to happen under the best possible conditions.⠀

The entire Festival team would like to thank everyone who is contributing, be it directly or indirectly, to the collective effort to combat the pandemic. We also express our support and solidarity in particular with those in the cultural sector who are experiencing difficulties during this time.⠀

FREE ACCESS TO 50 CONCERTS TO STREAM
During this period, Montreux Jazz Festival would like to bring a little magic into your home! We have made over 50 Festival concerts available to stream for free, including performances by Ray Charles, Wu-Tang Clan, Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Deep Purple, Carlos Santana, and more. Thanks to Montreux Sounds and our partner @StingrayQello, you can access them for free for 30 days.
We hope that a little music and soul will brighten up your day!⠀

Take care and see you soon, ⠀⠀
The MJF team

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