Montreux's convention centre reopened on 3 July 2026 after roughly three years closed, following a CHF 94 million renovation funded by the commune, the canton, a federal loan, and private partners (RTS). It's the biggest change to the town's events infrastructure in decades, and it's worth understanding if you visit Montreux or own a rental here.
The building is best known as the summer home of the Montreux Jazz Festival, but for most of the year it's a working congress and exhibition centre. That's the part that actually reshapes demand for the town's apartments and hotels.
Key takeaways: The 2m2c reopened 3 July 2026 for the 60th Montreux Jazz Festival, with its congress calendar resuming from 1 August. The three-year, CHF 94 million project harmonised three mismatched building phases (1973, 1983, 1993) into one venue. For property owners, it reintroduces year-round corporate demand — weekday, shoulder-season bookings that don't depend on summer festival dates.
In this guide
What is the 2m2c, and why did it close?
The 2m2c — Montreux Music & Convention Centre — is the lakefront complex that hosts the Montreux Jazz Festival every July and runs as a congress and exhibition venue the rest of the year. It was built across three disconnected phases in 1973, 1983, and 1993, which left it with mismatched circulation, ageing technical systems, and safety standards that no longer matched Swiss requirements.
Voters approved a full renovation in a 2020 popular vote. Construction began in August 2023, and the building moved its programme to temporary premises for the duration — closing the town's largest event venue for close to three years (CIMunity).
What did CHF 94 million actually buy?
In 2026, Swiss public broadcaster RTS confirmed the finished project cost CHF 94 million (RTS, 2026). The money did three things: it harmonised the building's three mismatched construction phases into a single coherent complex, brought fire safety and technical systems up to current standards, and redesigned circulation to open up the connection between the indoor halls and the lakefront outside.
The renovated complex spans an 18,000 sqm footprint, with a modular hall for 300 to 900 delegates and an auditorium that flexes between a 1,650-seat concert configuration and an 800-person gala dinner. The adjoining Auditorium Stravinski, the Jazz Festival's main stage, seats up to 4,000 (CIMunity).
The project drew on nine separate funding sources — an unusually broad public-private mix for a Swiss regional infrastructure project. It's a useful illustration of how seriously the canton and the tourism sector treat Montreux's events economy.
Funding breakdown, by source:
- Intercommunal tourist taxCHF 33m
- Commune of MontreuxCHF 21m
- Federal loanCHF 12m
- Canton Vaud (grant)CHF 10m
- 9 Riviera communes (Haut-Léman equipment fund)CHF 3m
- Fondation pour les infrastructures touristiquesCHF 3m
- Loterie RomandeCHF 3m
- Private partners, incl. NestléCHF 3m
Source: RTS, 2026, retrieved 2026-08-07.
When did it reopen, and what's on the calendar?
The 2m2c reopened on 3 July 2026, with the opening night of the 60th Montreux Jazz Festival — the same anniversary edition that drew RAYE, Lewis Capaldi, Nick Cave, Van Morrison, and around 40 acts playing their only Swiss show of the year (Billboard, 2026). If you're planning around the festival itself, our full 2026 programme guide covers the complete lineup.
From 1 August 2026, the venue's non-festival calendar resumed: congresses, corporate events, and exhibitions. The Swiss Society for Microbiology's annual congress was among the first bookings back in the building. It's also the venue for the Swiss Brass Band Championship, returning to Montreux on 28–29 November 2026 for the first time since 2022.
- 2020 Voters approve the full renovation in a popular vote.
- August 2023 Construction begins; the 2m2c's programme moves to temporary venues.
- May 2026 Construction work completes.
- 3 July 2026 Official reopening with the 60th Montreux Jazz Festival.
- 1 August 2026 Full congress and corporate events calendar resumes.
- 28–29 November 2026 Swiss Brass Band Championship returns to the venue.
What this means for Montreux property owners
A functioning congress centre matters more to a rental owner's calendar than its architecture. Corporate delegates travel on company budgets, book multi-night stays for conferences and trade shows, and — critically — arrive on weekdays and in months that have nothing to do with the Jazz Festival calendar.
For owners who've built their pricing strategy entirely around the July festival peak, described in our Montreux Airbnb pricing strategy guide, a working congress venue is the clearest new lever available in 2026 to lift shoulder-season occupancy without discounting.
Three years without the 2m2c meant three years without this demand layer. Corporate and association events don't fill a calendar the way the Jazz Festival does — but they arrive in September, October, and November, exactly when short-term rental occupancy in Montreux typically softens. See our shoulder-season rental guide for how to position a listing for this kind of demand.
Delegates attending a congress also tend to book closer to the venue than leisure travellers who wander the wider region. Properties within a 10–15 minute walk of the lakefront and the 2m2c are the ones most likely to see a direct effect on booking pace this autumn.
What to expect if you're visiting for an event
Whether you're travelling in for a congress or the November brass band championship, the venue itself is a short walk from the lakefront promenade, the Freddie Mercury statue, and the town's restaurant district — see our guide to Montreux's music heritage if you have an afternoon free. Central apartments give delegates a quieter alternative to conference hotels, with kitchens for longer stays and easier access on foot.
Isn't a renovated congress centre just infrastructure? Not for anyone booking a stay around it — it determines whether the town has a working, modern venue for the event that brought them here in the first place.
Frequently asked questions
When did the 2m2c in Montreux reopen?
The 2m2c reopened on 3 July 2026, hosting the opening night of the 60th Montreux Jazz Festival. Its full congress, exhibition, and corporate events programme resumed from 1 August 2026, after roughly three years of closure that began in August 2023.
How much did the 2m2c renovation cost?
The renovation cost CHF 94 million, funded by the Commune of Montreux, an intercommunal tourist tax, Canton Vaud, a federal loan, Loterie Romande, and private partners including Nestlé. Voters approved the project in a 2020 popular vote.
What changed in the 2m2c renovation?
The project harmonised three previously disconnected construction phases from 1973, 1983, and 1993 into one coherent building, brought the complex up to current safety and technical standards, and redesigned circulation to improve the connection between indoor spaces and the lakefront.
Does the 2m2c reopening affect short-term rental demand in Montreux?
Yes. Congress and corporate events bring weekday, shoulder-season demand that doesn't depend on summer festival dates, giving property owners a second demand driver beyond the Jazz Festival and helping to smooth out the traditional autumn and winter occupancy dip.
Related reading: Montreux Jazz Festival 2026: full programme · Swiss Brass Band Championship 2026 · Montreux Airbnb pricing strategy 2026 · Summer and shoulder season rental guide
Founder of Riviera Host. BBA Hospitality (Glion), MSc Tourism (FHGR), MSc Data Science (HSLU). 8+ years managing short-term rentals on the Swiss Riviera.
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