Festivals 2025: Montreux reveals star-studded bill

Switzerland’s legendary Montreux Jazz Festival has unveiled a star-studded programme for its 59th edition, taking place between 4 and 19 July 2025 on the Lake Geneva shoreline.

The festival is set to open with a world-exclusive event: Chaka Khan & Friends to Quincy with Love – a celebration of the late Quincy Jones, a longtime ambassador and architect of Montreux’s rich legacy.

Other acts confirmed to perform are Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts, Pulp, Sam Fender, RAYE, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Brandi Carlile, J Balvin, Ezra Collective, FKA Twigs, Alanis Morissette, Santana, Benson Boone, Bloc Party and The Black Keys.

Jorja Smith, Leon Bridges, James Blake, Beth Gibbons, Finneas, Ezra Collective, Shaboozey, Max Richter and Nubya Garcia are also on the bill.

Chappell Roan, meanwhile, has been announced as the latest musical act for this year’s Edinburgh Summer Sessions, promoted by DF Concerts. The US singer is set to appear at the Royal Highland Showgrounds on 26 August.

The Edinburgh series also features Sam Fender, while Glasgow’s Summer Sessions at Bellahouston Park include Sting, Simple Minds, Sex Pistols and the Stereophonics.

The lineup for the 50th-anniversary edition of Stadtpark Live in Hamburg, Germany, has also been revealed.

Chappell Roan has been announced as the latest musical act for this year’s Edinburgh Summer Sessions

Patti Smith, Camila Cabello, Iggy Pop, Melissa Etheridge, Gregory Porter, Will Smith, Air, Norah Jones, Gianna Nannini, Jorja Smith, Franz Ferdinand, The Corrs, Cypress Hill, Ronan Keating, Nelly Furtado and more are slated to perform at the iconic series during May and September.

This year also marks 100 years since the open-air stage was built. Karsten Jahnke Konzertdirektion has operated the venue since 1975.

As the organisers of EXIT Festival mull its future in Serbia, the 25th edition in Novi Sad continues to take shape.

More than 30 major acts have joined the lineup for the 10–13 July event, including The Prodigy, DJ Snake and Solomun. They join an already robust roster featuring punk icons Sex Pistols and Frank Carter, Tiësto, Eric Prydz, Amelie Lens, Nina Kraviz, Indira Paganotto, Sara Landry, Boris Brejcha and more.

Romania’s Electric Castle has announced the full lineup for its 2025 edition, featuring headline performances by Justin Timberlake, Queens of the Stone Age, Yungblud, Justice and Bicep. The 24-hour Transylvanian festival will present 200 artists across 10 stages at Bánffy Castle in Transylvania, from 16-20 July.

Rudimental, Shaggy, Netsky, Sofi Tukker, Artemas, Róisín Murphy, Jayda G, The Amazons and Shanti Celeste are also on the bill.

Elsewhere, Katy Perry is the first act announced to headline the renowned Yasalam After-Race Concerts at the 2025 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The superstar will take the stage on Sunday 7 December, the final day of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025, at Etihad Park.

Held since 2009, the Yasalam After-Race Concerts have starred acts such as Beyoncé, Prince, Paul McCartney, Britney Spears, Jay-Z, Eminem, Muse, Kanye West, Blur, Rihanna, Pink and Depeche Mode.

The bill for the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2025 is also shaping up, with Jennifer Lopez, Usher, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Major Lazor Soundsystem and more confirmed.

Powered by MDLBEAST, the concerts will take place during the 18–20 April Grand Prix in Jeddah.

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