Montreux Jazz Festival canceled for 1st time since 1967 – Swiss organizers

The Montreux Jazz Festival will not be held in July due to the coronavirus pandemic, marking the first time the Swiss summer festival has not taken place since its launch in 1967.

As the government is keeping most hygiene and social distancing measures in place for now, it is impossible to consider holding an event on such a scale, organizers said on Friday.

The two-week festival along Lake Geneva draws nearly 250,000 people. “The program planned for this summer will be partly carried over to next year’s festival, which will take place from 2 to 17 July 2021,” the statement said, according to Reuters.

The festival joins a long list cultural events that have been canceled or postponed because of lockdowns and measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.