Any birthday is cause for celebration, but when an institution like the Montreux Jazz Festival is honouring its 60th edition, you know it’s going to be one remarkable party. Against the spectacular backdrop of the Swiss Alps and the serene waters of Lake Geneva, music fans gather to witness yet another excellent two-week programme – its most diverse lineup yet. The late Freddie Mercury once said that if you want peace of mind, come to Montreux. Certainly, with each day you spend in this picturesque town, where music can be heard on every corner, you feel the stress begin to slip away. Time seems to exist differently here. Perhaps it’s to do with the city’s well-heeled crowd; here, even the air feels expensive, as you walk down Claude Nobs Avenue (named after the festival’s founder) admiring the yellow awnings of the five-star Fairmont Palace, and the shop windows from which you can see the glinting faces of luxury Swiss watches.More likely, though, is the fact that music is the very soul of Montreux. It’s evidenced in how musicians and fans alike keep returning, even as the over-crowded festival scene tries to tempt them away. Many of the headliners share photos of themselves taking a dip in the lake before their sets – otherwise you’ll probably pass them strolling down the bustling promenade, past food vendors, buskers, and bars erected over the crystal-clear water.Lewis Capaldi performs at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Thea Moser)As the first week comes to an end – neo-soul singer Joy Crookes’s Stravinski set being a gorgeous highlight – Mercury Prize-winning jazz group Ezra Collective keep the energy levels high after replacing the Isley Brothers on short notice. Their set is dazzling, demonstrating the now fully fledged talent that caught the ears of the late Quincy Jones, the first person to invite them to play Montreux back in 2018, as the festival marked his 85th birthday. Legendary hip-hop group The Roots follow with a career-spanning show, led by Black Thought’s jaw-dropping, virtuosic rapping, Questlove at the drums, and one truly phenomenal solo from guitarist “Captain” Kirk Douglas… before a joyful, up-tempo mashup of “The Seed 2.0” and Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up”.Montreux’s second week kicks off with a performance on the Lab Stage from Danish artist Agnes Obel, who introduces her audience to some brand new additions to her catalogue. Her sound, which has provided the emotional backdrop to shows like Big Little Lies and The Last of Us, is astonishingly pretty. It’s explorative too, a chamber pop melding of classical piano, looping cello and her spellbinding voice, which she spins and distorts out of recognition to spooky effect.Joy Crookes performs at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Luana Schoch)Last year’s performance from British pop star JADE seems to have reassured the festival that throwing some high-octane pop into the mix won’t tarnish its remarkable pedigree. Far from it – there’s something delightful about witnessing Swedish sensation Zara Larsson and her dancers gyrate and booty-shake around the same stage that’s hosted Etta James, Nina Simone and Prince, only now with tropical island props and Y2K visuals involving dolphins, sunsets and night skies. But she proves herself a commanding vocalist, too, hitting fantastic belts and runs on hits such as “Midnight Sun” and “Can’t Tame Her”.Owning a darker pop sound is Paris Paloma, whose recent tour supporting Florence and the Machine seems to have inspired her spinning and twirling around the Lab Stage during her politically potent anthems. New songs like “Miyazaki” champion human creativity over AI (a message Montreux will undoubtedly co-sign), while “Good Girl” feels like the sister to 2024’s viral anti-patriarchy chant “Labour”, made more playful when she throws in a cover of Nelly Furtado’s “Maneater”. Returning heroes Deep Purple show no signs of slowing, with frontman Ian Gillan looking remarkably fit for outings of new album Splat! and, of course, a tremendous salvo of “Smoke on the Water”, written on these very shores back in 1971.Deep Purple, led by frontman Ian Gillan (left), at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Thea Moser)The oldies give way to 29-year-old Lewis Capaldi on Tuesday night (14 July), with the Scottish singer-songwriter sounding better than ever in his latest stop of a triumphant comeback tour. As ever, his set is half-comedy. He asks aloud why he chose to wear a sweatshirt in the sweltering auditorium (the crowd, sweating and fanning themselves in summer shirts and dresses, clearly wonder the same), and tells us cheerfully that he went on hiatus after having “a little mental breakdown”. More vulnerably, he admits how daunted he feels at the intimate crowd – particularly in contrast to the 62,000-strong audience he played to in Hyde Park over the weekend. It doesn’t show: he’s tremendous on “Hollywood”, from his 2019 album Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent, and lovely on the acoustic-led breakup number “Almost”.Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon MusicSign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.Try for freeADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon MusicSign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.Try for freeADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.Around the corner at the Memphis Lounge, an even smaller audience is treated to a surprise set by Grammy winner Leon Bridges, on top form as he gives an airing of his just-announced album, Happiness Anytime – along with favourites “Texas Sun” and “River”. As the festival proves time and time again, there’s a very good reason they all come down to Montreux.