Travel: Beauty, sparkling sun and all that jazz… the best of Europe’s music festivals

Warm orange sunlight dyed the sky behind Trombone Shorty’s electric set on the Montreux Jazz Festival’s Lake Stage.

It was the opening night of the two-week long event, and Lake Geneva’s serene beauty, sparkling under the setting sun, was the cherry on top of an extraordinary moment. I’d walked in – after a brief stop to gawp at the entryway banner and digest the fact I was here – and soaked up the atmosphere of one of Europe’s most famous music festivals.

I caught slivers of French, Italian, German, and English as visitors, local and foreign, skipped past in bubbles of excitement. They made their way along the festival strip – a path stretching by the shores of Lake Geneva from the main Lake Stage (outdoors this year despite the headline artists usually playing in the town hall, which was getting renovated) to the Ibis Music Terrace on the other side – and fluttered around food stalls, gift shops, and stands with mini, interactive shows.

The defining factor of the Montreux Jazz Festival, other than the colossal talent of its artists, is that it’s free.

Sure, it costs money to watch A-list musicians on the Lake Stage (which this year included Jon Batiste, Duran Duran, Jessie Ware, Lenny Kravitz, Deep Purple and Sting) and the Casino Stage, but watching gigs and events on other stages costs nothing.

“We help to bring free music to the public,” said Kevin Donnet, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of the festival. “Both younger and older people can access high-quality music.”

The festival also attracts up-and-coming artists looking for an outlet since it allows buskers along the strip, and many can nab a spot on one of its new music stages like Lisztomania and the Ibis Music Terrace.

“We also have Montreux Jazz Residency, another festival that we organise for one week every year in October,” Donnet added. Also free of charge, Residency is a chance for the public to watch both new and established jazz players perform concerts, jam sessions, workshops, and DJ sets at the festival’s Main House across from the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace.

We stayed a half hour’s train ride away from Montreux in cosy Lausanne, inside the Ibis Lausanne Centre hotel. Montreux during festival season is like Edinburgh during the Fringe – rife with crowds and lost tourists. Your best bet is to stay outside the city not just for a cheaper price, but because you’re unlikely to find accommodation there at all. Most places are brimming with artists and organisers who need to stay close by. But Switzerland’s immaculate transport network makes the commute easy, and you can buy train tickets and check timetables hassle-free on the SBB transport app.

The following month, I found myself abroad at another European music festival, this time at Hungary’s Sziget in Budapest. Thanks to Ibis Music and Accor, who’d hosted me in Montreux and invited me out for a second time, I got to experience three days’ worth of the biggest live acts on the scene right now including RAYE, Sam Smith, and Janelle Monáe. As I arrived and checked into Ibis’s swanky new branch next to Budapest Stadium, which opened this year, the temperatures were soaring.

In mid-August I was going against 36C – not for the faint of heart, particularly if you’re going to Sziget and planning to stand. But, coming from someone who did exactly that, it was all worth it. Sziget is one of the busiest summer festivals in Europe with somewhere near 400,000 attendees across six days in 2024, but the environment was nevertheless soothing.

People from all over the continent and beyond were kind and patient – they made room for you in crowds, sparked up conversations, and repeatedly apologised for the slightest accidental nudge in a packed area. During Louis Tomlinson’s headline set, three carefree women invited me to dance with them as they raved to his One Direction covers (granted, it did feel nostalgic). Over at the Ibis Buzz stage, up-and-coming musicians were given an ample platform to play their music and attract a solid music-loving crowd.

Ibis has three festival stages around Europe – at Sziget, Montreux and at Portugal’s Rock in Rio Lisboa. Each stage aims to host new and accessible music that people don’t pay for so they can hear lots of genres and connect with different cultures. Indeed, being one of few Scottish people attending both festivals this year, I didn’t need to speak a word to those around me to feel like we were on the same wavelength. After the music stopped each night, navigating my way home wasn’t a problem. I followed the friendly crowd back out of the main entrance and stood in line for a taxi from Hungarian firm BOLT. The queue was massive – it felt like everyone left at roughly the same time – but I was waiting for no more than 10 minutes.

So, if you’re thinking about booking a festival or two next summer, think about the Montreux Jazz Festival and Sziget for 2025. It’s once-in-a-lifetime and, who knows, you might just make a few friends.

Factfile

Discover all branches and experiences available with Ibis.

Ibis Music information here. and Spotify playlist.

The Montreux Jazz Festival – more info here. 

Sziget festival info here.

Some top tips for festivals:

1. Stock up on sun cream

Don’t rely on a sunhat – they don’t stop your limbs, chest, and neck from burning, so use plenty of cream and keep reapplying.

2. Bring an empty bottle

Keep refilling it with water throughout the day – hydration is crucial, especially whilst sweating under intense summer heat!

3. Choose your bag carefully

Bring a bag that’s comfortable to carry and not too big, but large enough to fit everything you need. Research the festival’s bag policy before you go.