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Many Voices. One Spirit.
Few music institutions carry the global resonance of the Montreux Jazz Festival. Founded in 1967 by Claude Nobs and stewarded since 2013 by Mathieu Jaton, Montreux has long been a meeting place for legends, innovators and the next wave of boundary-breaking artists.
Now, for the first time, that storied legacy finds a new home on African soil.
Set against the vineyards and dramatic mountain backdrops of Franschhoek, the festival’s South African edition reimagines Montreux’s spirit through a distinctly local lens — blending global artistry with South African creativity, collaboration and hospitality.
This is more than a concert series. It is an immersion into culture, craftsmanship and connection — where each ticket becomes an invitation into a curated world of sound and storytelling.
A Programme That Bridges Worlds
The inaugural line-up reflects Montreux’s enduring philosophy: honour the masters, champion contemporary voices and spark collaborations that cannot be replicated elsewhere. Generations, geographies and musical languages intersect across multiple stages — from The Arches Stage to Jazz Village.
Salif Keita (Mali)
SATURDAY – The Arches Stage
Revered globally as “The Golden Voice of Africa,” Salif Keita’s presence in Franschhoek marks a rare and significant appearance. With a career spanning five decades, more than 20 albums and multiple Grammy nominations, Keita embodies musical legacy and fearless artistic expression.
For this special performance, he will appear alongside his Electric Band, revisiting iconic works such as Yamore, Madan and Mandjou — songs that have shaped the global Afropop landscape.
Mandisi Dyantyis (South Africa)
SATURDAY – The Arches Stage
Trumpeter, composer and cultural force, Mandisi Dyantyis represents the evolving vocabulary of contemporary African jazz. His compositions weave classical nuance, folk textures and modern improvisation into a deeply emotive sound.
Following acclaimed releases including Somandla, Cwaka and 2025’s Intlambululo: Ukuhlambulula, Dyantyis arrives at Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek backed by a choir — promising a performance both intimate and expansive.
Billy Monama’s Guitar Convergence (South Africa)
SATURDAY – The Arches Stage
A festival-exclusive collaboration brings together Billy Monama, Moss Mogale and Vusi Mahlasela in what Monama describes as a “triple threat of guitar convergence.”
Rooted in storytelling traditions and the musical languages of kwela, marabi, mbaqanga and Malombo, this meeting of strings spans memory, activism and virtuosity — a living archive of South African sound.
Kesivan Naidoo amaBig Band Experience
Featuring Boohle, Stogie T and BONJ
FRIDAY – The Arches Stage
One of the most ambitious projects on the programme, this 26-piece transcontinental ensemble reinterprets Amapiano — traditionally electronic and groove-led — through the scale and dynamism of a large acoustic jazz orchestra.
Anchored by Boohle’s unmistakable vocal presence, the project bridges Switzerland, South Africa and beyond, underscoring Montreux’s ethos of cross-border collaboration.
Madala Kunene & Sibusile Xaba (South Africa)
Jazz Village
A profound intergenerational dialogue unfolds between Kunene — often called the “King of the Zulu Guitar” — and the genre-fluid Sibusile Xaba. Together, they navigate maskandi traditions, avant-garde textures and spiritual improvisation, honouring heritage while shaping new sonic futures.
Kwanti Leeh! (South Africa)
SATURDAY – Jazz Village
Featuring Herbie Tsoaeli, Andile Yenana, Ayanda Sikade and Sisonke Xonti, this ensemble represents a formidable cross-section of South Africa’s contemporary jazz excellence.
Drawing inspiration from icons such as Bheki Mseleku, Abdullah Ibrahim and Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Kwanti Leeh! revisits legacy with reverence while embracing modern sensibilities and collective improvisation.
The Montreux Spirit, Reimagined
“Conversations across generations and genres sit at the heart of this programme,” notes curator Lindsay Rhoda. “It’s the same dialogue that has shaped Montreux for more than 60 years — now expressed through an African voice, on African soil.”
In Franschhoek, the festival becomes more than a transplant of a European institution. It is an exchange — between continents, cultures and creative traditions.
Many voices. One spirit.
And for the first time, that spirit resonates through the Cape winelands.
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