RAYE helps launch Montreux Jazz Festival with surprise guests

British pop star RAYE kicked off proceedings at the 60th edition of Montreux Jazz Festival, with a spectacular performance that enlisted a few surprise guests.RAYE, 28, brought out producer and DJ Mark Ronson as well as renowned singer-songwriter Alicia Keys in the one-night-only show she created exclusively for the festival held in Montreux, Switzerland. Keys joined RAYE on stage at the Auditorium Stravinski for performances of “If I Ain’t Got You” and “Oscar Winning Tears”, marking the first time the two artists had sung together live.

Meanwhile, Ronson turned up for a lively rendition of “Uptown Funk” as well as his and RAYE’s collaboration “Suzanne”.RAYE’s special evening celebrated six decades of the festival, paying tribute to the legendary artists who have graced its stages including Nina Simone, Prince, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown and Al Green. The Brit Award-winning star hailed Montreux as “one of the greatest, if not the greatest, festival in the world”, as she played her third consecutive appearance there, now on a bespoke rotating stage beneath suspended fabric sails.

open image in galleryRAYE and Alicia Keys onstage at Montreux Jazz Festival (Emilien Itim)She opened with “Who Knows Where the Time Goes”, a tribute to Simone who gave her legendary performance at Montreux exactly 50 years ago, on 3 July 1976. RAYE also offered an interpretation of “Summertime”, associated with well-known versions by Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson, and a James Brown medley.Elsewhere, RAYE delivered inventive mashups of her own songs with the music that inspired it: “Nightingale Lane” segued into Prince’s “Purple Rain”, while “Skin and Bones” closed with a hat-tip to Franklin’s “Rock Steady”.

Making her debut at Montreux in 2024 was a special moment for RAYE, as she performed in front of her Swiss grandfather for the first time. She returned in 2025 to headline the Lake Stage, offering early glimpses of her then-unreleased second album, This Music May Contain Hope.Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon MusicSign up now for a 30-day free trial.

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open image in galleryRAYE performing with Mark Ronson at Montreux 2026 (Marc Ducrest)“Let me tell you, my first ever Montreux Jazz Festival was a moment in time no money can buy,” RAYE told the audience. “My Swiss Grandad got to watch me perform live for the first time, at one of the greatest – if not the greatest – festival in the world.“The Independent is partnered with Montreux Jazz Festival once again as its exclusive global news partner of MJF for the fourth year running, and will help the festival mark a milestone moment for its 60th edition.

Over the next two weeks, fans will get to see performances from legendary acts including Deep Purple, Van Morrison, Sting, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, James Taylor and Charles Lloyd, along with stars such as Zara Larsson, Joy Crookes, John Legend and Lewis Capaldi. Join our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments