Montreux Director Mathieu Jaton "2022 is not a comeback - it's a new beginning"
After two years of the pandemic, the Montreux Jazz Festival is finally taking place regularly again this year. Festival director Mathieu Jaton talks about the reorganization, fears of bankruptcy and his coup with Diana Ross.
MathieuJaton, how does it feel to get back into your pants after two years off?
Vacation? (laughs) The last two years have been anything but a vacation. We've used the time to realign the event and keep the brand alive. In 2020, Montreux took place as a virtual festival, in 2021 on a small scale on the open-air stage on the lake. It was a great experience, but the organization was honestly a nightmare. We were on Alain Berset's lips every day.
How has the festival survived these years financially?
Of course we were supported, like others. But we took a big risk with the open-air concerts. A risk that ultimately cost the state less than if we had done nothing. But we saw it as our duty as a large festival to show that you can do more than just hold out your hollow hand.
Was the festival ever in danger of going bankrupt?
About the person: Mathieu Jaton
Mathieu Jaton was born in Vevey in 1975. He has worked for the Montreux Jazz Festival since 1999, initially in marketing. After festival founder Claude Nobs, who was his mentor, passed away in 2013, he took over his position as director.
No. But only thanks to help from the government. The money flowed quickly and unbureaucratically, for which we are very grateful. It wouldn't have been possible without this support.
The sophisticated Montreux Jazz Festival in financial difficulties?
We had no reserves. In March 2020, our expenses already amounted to over six million francs. The teams were standing, and when you have to pay wages every week but don't generate any income, things get tight for everyone. That's why we had to get the aid money quickly, otherwise we would have had to lay everyone off. I have to say: the Swiss government did a sensational job in this respect. Thanks to this support, it was possible to get up and running again in February within a short space of time. This is anything but a matter of course, especially by international standards.
The 2022 program was still a challenge, wasn't it?
You could say that, especially for us. Many festivals have simply tweaked their 2020 program. Not us. We decided to put together a new program because I am convinced that 2022 will not be a comeback year. It's a new beginning, a paradigm shift. We want to use the crisis to lead the festival into the future. Because the crisis was already there before corona - with far too many concerts. Now we've arrived in 2022 and the situation is worse: everyone is doing something, but the audience first has to learn to go to events again. I am convinced that the real crisis is yet to come.
How is Montreux responding to this situation?
I have instructed my team to act cautiously. That's why we only have two halls with paid shows this year, not three. We took a big risk by not simply postponing the acts from 2020 to 2022, but by putting together a new program that reflects the spirit of the times. After all, who can guarantee that the popular act from 2020 will still interest anyone today? We waited a long time with everything and our nerves were frayed at times. In the end, I think the risk was worth it.
Let's talk about the program . The big name is of course Diana Ross. How difficult was it to book this superstar?
We already had her confirmed for 2020. We were in heaven, then the pandemic hit. She was 76 years old in 2020 and I didn't expect her to make up for her tour. But she's only coming to Europe for four exclusive shows. Many big US acts had to cancel their tours because the organizational conditions in Europe were chaotic due to the different regulations in the individual countries. With Diana Ross, who is no longer playing 100 dates, this played less of a role. That suited us.
Were you difficult in the negotiations?
No. The problem was more that she accepted late. If she had canceled, we would have been left without a headliner on a Saturday night. That would have been a disaster.
In addition to Diana Ross, the usual suspects will be performing again, such as Van Morrison...
(laughs) ... people always think Van Morrison performs every year. But that's not true. Just as little as with Deep Purple. Van plays maybe five shows when he tours in a year. One of them is Montreux, because he feels a close connection to the festival. But we also have a lot of exciting young acts, as the program proves.
What have you personally learned from the last few years?
That you have to remain flexible. That applies today more than ever.
This year's Montreux Jazz Festival takes place from July 1 to 16.
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