RAYE surprised fans at Montreux Jazz Festival by bringing out Alicia Keys and Mark Ronson as surprise guests – check out footage below.
- READ MORE: RAYE – ‘This Music May Contain Hope’ review: showstopping musical maximalism at its grandest
The 2026 instalment of the festival kicked off on the Lake Geneva shoreline last night (July 3), with RAYE opening the event with a special performance that saw the Auditorium Stravinski transformed into a completely new stage configuration for the first time.
Marking her third consecutive appearance at Montreux, last night’s appearance follows the release of her ‘Live At Montreux’ vinyl in 2024, as well as her latest album, ‘This Music May Contain Hope.’
Having opened with a nod to Nina Simone with ‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes’, the first surprise of the night saw RAYE launch into Bruno Mars‘ ‘Uptown Funk‘ before she welcomed the song’s co-writer, Ronson, to the stage to perform their collaboration ‘Suzanne‘.
Later on in the set, Alicia Keys joined her, marking the first time the two have performed together live. They took on ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ and ‘Oscar Winning Tears’ to a huge response from the packed Auditorium Stravinski.
Raye and Alicia Keys performing “Oscar Winning Tears.” at Montreux Jazz Festival tonight. pic.twitter.com/T54a7TUHON
— RAYE Updates (@RayeUpdate) July 3, 2026
Raye and Alicia Keys performing “If I Ain't Got You” at Montreux Jazz Festival tonight. pic.twitter.com/GLEITfl8zf
— RAYE Updates (@RayeUpdate) July 3, 2026
Raye and Mark Ronson performing at Montreux Jazz Festival tonight! pic.twitter.com/jORyjDQzvN
— RAYE Updates (@RayeUpdate) July 3, 2026
RAYE has previously spoken about Montreux’s significance to her, and following her festival debut in 2024 – when she performed in front of her Swiss grandfather for the first time – she released the ‘Live at Montreux’ album to capture the landmark performance.
Speaking of that moment with her grandfather watching her performance, RAYE said: “Let me tell you, my first ever Montreux Jazz Festival was a moment in time no money can buy. 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.”
As for the rest of the festival, tomorrow night (July 5) will see Aldous Harding share the bill with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, July 11 will see performances from The Isley Brothers and The Roots, and July 17 sees Loyle Carner take to the stage as well as US funk outfit Vulfpeck.
Last month, RAYE shared that she had pushed herself to her “limit” while working on her new album ‘This Music May Contain Hope’. The South London singer’s second record – the follow-up to the multi-BRIT-winning 2023 debut ‘My 21st Century Blues’ – was recorded over an intensely busy period of three years and was released back in March.
In a five-star review of the album, NME wrote: “‘This Music May Contain Hope’ is RAYE firing on all cylinders – and then some. It’s showstopping musical maximalism at its grandest, while still being grounded in relatable experiences and unbridled emotions.
“Again, it’s admittedly a lot to take in – but that’s also why it’s so glorious, every theatrical flourish and stylistic detour a declaration from RAYE that she is finally making music for herself.”
RAYE will be headlining Reading and Leeds in August, and that month will begin an extensive run of dates supporting Bruno Mars in North America – see those dates here and find any remaining tickets here.
She is also set to make her acting debut in Lineage, a new film by Top Boy director Yann Demange.