Jazz festival sets mood music to boost global exchange

MONTREUX, Switzerland — The third edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival China is set to take place in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, in late October in a bid to connect East and West and foster more exchanges between international and Chinese musicians, its CEO says.

The internationally renowned Montreux Jazz Festival, created in Switzerland in 1967 by Claude Nobs and directed by Mathieu Jaton since 2013, traditionally lasts two weeks every summer. Nearly 250,000 spectators attend the festival every year, enjoying a breathtaking setting, concerts and free stages.

In 2021, the festival traveled to China for the first time, choosing the picturesque UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hangzhou in Zhejiang province as its inaugural location. This year, the festival will travel to China for the third time from Oct 25 to 27 under the theme "When West Meets East".