Synopsis
Cully Jazz Festival is the main musical event of spring in French-speaking Switzerland. Over nine days, more than 140 concerts and twenty events dedicated to jazz and its associated genres will electrify the village of Cully. In 2019, 60’000 people explored the alleys, the wine-cellars and the lakeside of Cully during the Festival. The 37th edition was held from 5 to 13 April 2019.
Since more than 35 years, Cully Jazz Festival has remained faithful to the values that underlie its success: the quality of its musical programming, the commitment of volunteers, and the loyalty of festival-goers thanks to a wonderful natural setting and a warm welcome. Curious and enthusiastic, festival-goers respond every year to the call of artists and organisers.
Jazz in all its forms
Every year, jazz is celebrated in the village of Cully, with prestigious concerts attracting substantial crowds. Festival-goers wishing to enjoy the unique atmosphere of the place wander as they please in a constellation of wine-cellars constituting the scene for the OFF Festival. It is undoubtedly this combination between paying and free concerts in the IN and OFF Festivals respectively that seduces a dedicated audience.
The OFF Festival, spanning fifteen cafés, ephemeral scenes and wine-cellars scattered throughout the village, is in itself a springboard for the new generation of jazz in Switzerland.
On its three stages – Chapiteau, Next Step and Temple – the IN Festival can pride itself on having welcomed prestigious artists such as Bobby Mc Ferrin, Wayne Shorter, Gilberto Gil, McCoy Tyner, Stephan Eicher, Madeleine Peyroux, Marianne Faithfull, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Charles Lloyd, Ibrahim Maalouf, Jan Garbarek, Carla Bley, Marcus Miller, Manu Dibango, Thomas Dutronc, Michel Petrucciani, Manu Katché, John Scofield, Ahmad Jamal, Randy Weston, Seun Kuti, Monty Alexander, Gregory Porter, Avishai Cohen and Lisa Simone.
The OFF Festival consists of around fifteen cafés and wine cellars spread throughout the village. It provides a springboard for many young Swiss Jazz musicians; artists playing in the OFF Festival often find themselves on the line-up for the IN Festival a couple of years later. However, sometimes the opposite happens, and an artist having played at the IN decides to come back to Cully for a residency during the OFF.
A Festival in the heart of Lavaux
Located on the shores of Lake Geneva, in the heart of Lavaux – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – Cully is a wine-producing village with a unique charm. Every spring, its inhabitants open their doors, their wine-cellars and sometimes even their living-rooms to welcome musicians in order to share uniquely convivial moments.Lovers of quality music, elegant wines and conviviality will feel at home in a festival humming with energy thanks to the generosity of Cully’s inhabitants.
The festival would not exist without the force of its volunteers supporting it. Led by an association of passionate people, the organising team is composed of a permanent office of two to eight people during the year and a dozen volunteer members. During the nine days of the festival, this permanent team is supported by 600 volunteers spread across all sectors of the organisation.
Sustainable development
Conscious of its impact on the environment, Cully Jazz Festival strives to reduce its ecological footprint and preserve the magnificent setting it is hosted in. Every year, the Sustainable Development Commission sets new goals aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the Festival. In particular, it was responsible for the introduction of refundable fees for cups and dishes, for the use of primarily renewable and locally-produced electricity, as well as for the constant improvement of the public transport network to and from the festival.
Mission
The main mission of the Festival is to promote jazz and its artists through a high quality event open to all audiences. Cully looks to the future in its promotion of jazz, and quality, accessibility, and exploration are the main characteristics that we wish to promote.
Located in an exceptional setting, the Festival site is a central element: the site and the Festival must mutually showcase their value.