Montreux, Switzerland, and all that jazz Jun 28, 2019

Montreux, Switzerland, and all that jazz

We’re looking at Montreux, Switzerland, where the Montreux Jazz Festival begins today. Despite its name, the festival isn"t just about jazz. It highlights different styles of music across multiple venues over two weeks. This year"s lineup includes three farewell-tour stops (Elton John, Anita Baker, Joan Baez) and big names in jazz (Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin), as well as young artists representing a variety of genres. The festival began in 1967 at the original Montreux Casino, which famously burned down during a December 1971 Frank Zappa performance. The fire was memorialized by Deep Purple in their hit "Smoke on the Water." A monument commemorating the band and their song can be found next to the rebuilt casino.

© Westend61/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jun 28, 2018A unique perspective from Italy’s ‘golden sands’
Jun 28, 2020Keep shining
Jun 28, 2021A medieval celebration in the Mediterranean
Jun 28, 2022Tafilalet oasis in Morocco
Jun 28, 2023Pride Month
Jun 28, 2024Pride 2024
Jun 28, 2025Pride 2025

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Feb 8, 2025Medieval towers in Mestia, Upper Svaneti, Georgia
May 28, 2022Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park, Australia
May 17, 2024Endangered Species Day
Jan 9, 2026Muir Woods National Monument anniversary
Mar 2, 2024Modica, Sicily, Italy
Oct 21, 2025Happy Diwali!
Dec 20, 2023Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy
Jan 5, 2025National Bird Day
Jan 22, 2024Walton Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California
Aug 7, 2023National Lighthouse Day
Jul 1, 2025Happy Canada Day!
Jul 23, 2018Tokyo welcomes a futuristic new art museum
Jan 31, 2026International Zebra Day
Jun 5, 2022World Environment Day
Mar 8, 2020Joan charges Riverside Park
Nov 7, 2021Mack Arch Rock
Nov 23, 2023Happy Thanksgiving!
Jul 12, 2019The ‘Night of Nights’
Nov 13, 2024Sea lion in a kelp forest, Baja California, Mexico
May 17, 2021Happy Syttende Mai!
Jan 24, 2024Diamond Beach, Iceland
Sep 22, 2021What s cuter than nuzzling rhinos?
Jan 9, 2023Wind Cave National Park celebrates 120 years
Sep 9, 2020Where the bearded reedling sings
Jul 20, 2018Composite of photographs from the Apollo 15 mission
Jan 26, 2026Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany
Mar 24, 2024Silvereyes in South Korea
Feb 3, 2026Emerald Bay and Fannette Island, Lake Tahoe, California
Dec 8, 2025Christmas lights in Domaso, Lake Como, Italy
Apr 4, 2025National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington, DC