2M2C, Montreux Music & Convention Centre

1973: the convention centre on the quays

The Montreux convention centre opened in 1973, on the quays, with a vast modular space and the first Miles Davis Hall. It would grow through two major expansions, in 1981 and then in 1993.

1993: the Auditorium Stravinski and the festival’s arrival

In 1993 the great Auditorium Stravinski, seating nearly four thousand, was inaugurated and gave the centre its definitive shape. That year the Montreux Jazz Festival left the casino, by then too small, to settle here: it finally found a home to match its stature.

Halls named after giants

The two main halls bear the names of figures deeply tied to Montreux: the Auditorium Stravinski, in tribute to Igor Stravinski, who lived close by in Clarens, and the Miles Davis Hall, named after the trumpeter whose final concert, in 1991, remains a festival legend. A hall also bears the name of Quincy Jones, the festival’s musical director in the early 1990s.

2006: Montreux Music & Convention Centre

In May 2006 the centre took the name Montreux Music & Convention Centre, shortened to 2M2C, to better express the blend of music and conventions that makes its reputation.

A work by Keith Haring in one of the halls

A work by Keith Haring is on display in one of the building’s halls. It recalls the American artist’s stay in Montreux, invited by Pierre Keller for the 1983 Montreux Jazz Festival.

That year he covered the town with his figures for ten days, painted eight panels facing the Casino and designed the festival poster.

Today

Every July the 2M2C is the beating heart of the Montreux Jazz Festival, between the Auditorium Stravinski, the Montreux Jazz Lab and the Montreux Jazz Club. The rest of the year it hosts the city’s cultural season, concerts, shows and conventions: the built anchor of a festival that itself remains an event rather than a place.