Bowie joins stellar line-up at Montreux

David Bowie will be at Montreux on July 18 Keystone Archive

David Bowie and Paul Simon are to make their long-awaited first appearances at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

For many years, festival director Claude Nobs has been hoping that the two singers would join the roll call of world artistes at Montreux.

Announcing the programme, he said he had finally succeeded in getting them to join a bill which for two weeks in July will also include Marianne Faithful – for the first time.

Also appearing are Isaac Hayes, B.B.King, Herbie Hancock, Joe Cocker, UB 40 and the Buena Vista Social Club.

Now in its 36th year, Montreux is much more than a festival of jazz. Says Nobs: “Jazz purists as well as fans of rock, pop, reggae, world music and electronic sounds will not be disappointed. As always there is going to be something for everybody.”

Some 100 concerts are scheduled – tickets have just gone on sale – along with about 350 open-air musical events which the public can attend free of charge.

The festival will also be on the move, with concerts on special trains through the nearby mountains and on boat-trips across Lake Geneva,

Last year’s festival was attended by over 220,000 people.

swissinfo with agencies