Geneva (AFP)
The organizers of the Montreux Jazz Festival, a prestigious music scene held every summer in Switzerland, announced Friday the cancellation of the 2020 edition due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a first since its creation in 1967.
"The organization of the Montreux Jazz Festival has deep regret to announce today that its edition scheduled for July 3 to 18, 2020 will not take place," the organizers said in a statement.
The 54th edition, initially scheduled for July 3 to 18, will take place from July 2 to 17, 2021.
The festival says it is working on postponing concerts already scheduled by headliners Lionel Richie and Lenny Kravitz, American singer Brittany Howard and the psychedelic soul group Black Pumas.
Switzerland decided on Thursday to relax a number of restrictive measures put in place at the beginning of March to limit the spread of the pandemic, but maintains the recommendations for social distancing and the authorities' calendar does not at this stage allow events to take place. audiences attracting large numbers of people.
In these circumstances, "today it is impossible to envisage an event of the magnitude of the Montreux Jazz Festival in July, like our colleagues at summer festivals in Switzerland and around the world. population health obviously outweighs all other considerations, "say the organizers.
Different by its format, this festival on the shores of Lake Geneva is not a big + open air +. He offers concerts in closed halls, including his flagship auditorium, the Stravinsky, renowned for its acoustics.
© 2020 AFP