The 59th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival brought together 250,000 music fans for two weeks of live concerts along the sparkling shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. More than 700 performances filled its stages with genres ranging from jazz, Latin music, R&B, pop and rock, to EDM and hip hop.
The festival opened with a tribute to Quincy Jones by Chaka Khan and featured a lineup that combined icons and emerging voices such as Samara Joy, Max Richter, RAYE, Benson Boone, Shaboozey, and Brandi Carlile.
In its 39th year as the festival’s global sound partner, Meyer Sound equipped 15 venues and spaces in Montreux with more than 400 loudspeakers, delivering extraordinary experiences for both artists and audiences.
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Audio, lighting, and video equipment was once again supplied by Swiss rental and integration company Skynight, with audio systems designed by Meyer Sound application architect José Gaudin.
At the festival’s iconic Lake Stage —its final year before returning to the Auditorium Stravinski in 2026— Meyer Sound deployed a loudspeaker system designed to combine scale and precision. For the first time, the stage’s main system was powered entirely by Class D amplification, offering a lighter, more efficient footprint without sacrificing impact. PANTHER® large-format linear line array loudspeakers anchored the system, supported by LEOPARD®, LINA®, and ULTRA-X40™ loudspeakers, along with 2100-LFC™ low-frequency control elements.
People love it. The level of detail is so incredible you can hear things you’ve never heard before. The system is so well controlled and precise that we can keep the energy focused on the audience without shaking the neighbors’ windows, even with a five-story apartment building right next to us. The festival is right in the middle of town, so control is essential, says Martin Reich, the festival’s sound coordinator and resident engineer at the Lake Stage.
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Beyond the Lake Stage, Meyer Sound systems enabled immersive and experimental performances across Montreux. At Ipanema —the festival’s main DJ venue— two versatile ULTRA-X80™ point source loudspeakers served as the main P.A., supported by compact ULTRA-X40 and ULTRA-X20™ point source loudspeakers. The Spacemap Go® spatial sound design and mixing tool allowed DJs to move sound around the room even when working with simple stereo sources. “At first, I didn’t expect it to work so well with just a left/right signal, but it makes the room feel more alive”, says Sebastian Hefti, Ipanema’s front of house engineer. “It keeps the energy moving without distracting the artist”.
The Memphis venue, a hotspot for late-night jam sessions, expanded its creative capabilities this year with ULTRA-X80 loudspeakers as the main left/right system, complemented by other ULTRA family loudspeakers for immersive effects. The venue’s Spacemap Go system supported both traditional mixes for visiting engineers and more adventurous spatial soundscapes, including real-time panning. The technical team experimented with tactile control devices —including joysticks and stream decks— and linked audio movement with lighting automation, creating a synchronized immersive audiovisual experience.
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For visiting engineers, Meyer Sound systems provided a transparent and reliable foundation for performances of all genres. Matthias Garrick, front of house engineer for RAYE, describes his experience mixing on the PANTHER system as “incredible”. “These loudspeakers make it possible to achieve a wide and precise mix, even with many sound sources, and still leave room for one of the most powerful and clear vocals I’ve ever heard to shine on top, without losing quality”.
With Meyer Sound systems covering stages from the open-air Lake Stage to Montreux’s most intimate venues, the company’s role demands both flexibility and power.
This festival challenges us to think big while also focusing on the details. One moment we deliver the overwhelming power of the Lake Stage, and the next we create immersive and enveloping sound experiences at Ipanema and Memphis. That versatility is what makes Montreux unique, and what, after nearly four decades, keeps us excited to continue growing alongside it, says Andy Davies, Meyer Sound’s Senior Director of Product Management.
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Additional comments from engineers at Montreux 2025:
Joey Diehl, FOH, Benson Boone: “Thanks to the Meyer team (Oscar Barrientos and Ianina Canalis) for how they tuned the Lake Stage system. I was not only surprised but also thrilled with how the show sounded. The power, clarity, and speed of the drivers let me play with details I rarely get to explore”.
Patrick Tunbridge, FOH, Grace Jones: “It was fantastic to be back at the Montreux Jazz Festival this year mixing Grace Jones’ show with Meyer Sound, this time on the outdoor Lake Stage. It was an effortless, very enjoyable experience. Particularly notable was that the system was almost free of any corrective EQ, and that there was no EQ on my console’s master bus. Many thanks to Meyer Sound!”
Mike Droke, FOH/PM, Diana Ross: “After touring with a Meyer Sound rig from Major Tom, I was delighted to know we’d have the same clarity and precision for the festival date, this time with PANTHER on the main stage. It did not disappoint: an amazing system for a spectacular stage. Thanks to the Meyer Sound team for delivering once again”.
Photo credit: Marc Ducrest
