Words and photography by Sandrine Delaplage
Relentless Grace Jones took the stage at the Montreux Jazz Festival on 12 July 2025. Doing what she has done throughout her entire career: she transformed Montreux into the 1980’s again. Retro styling makes Grace Jones a legend in such a unique musical performance. At the event as well as the best experience for Montreux 2025, Grace Jones has been one of many of us favorite icon , still after six decades, she performs with that 80s sound and style, playing her Jamaican heritage, a true reggae rock legend that made Grace Jones still in 2025, our iconic Jamaican goddess. Unlike many contemporary touring artists who publicly credit large creative teams, her live performances are often strongly shaped by her own artistic vision, throughout her career she has been deeply involved in the visual and theatrical aspects of her shows, working historically with figures such as Jones’s ex husband Jean-Paul Goude, who has been her most influential visual collaborator of her career, responsible for many of her iconic images and stage concepts. Philip Treacy — creator of several famous Grace Jones headpieces and stage looks Azzedine Alaïa — an important influence on her performance image today at Montreux lac stage 2025.
Opening with Nightclubbing, at Montreux main lac stage was like a live theatre , she immediately established the atmosphere that would define the evening. The song’s dark pulse rolled across the Lake Stage as Jones appeared with the confidence and authority that have long become her signature. There was no need for grand introductions. Within moments, the audience was entirely in her orbit. What was striking from the very beginning was the audience’s concentration. Festivals are often characterised by movement and distraction, with conversations drifting through the crowd and attention divided between stages. During Grace Jones’s performance, however, a different atmosphere emerged. Thousands of people seemed completely focused on what was happening before them. There was a sense of anticipation that remained present throughout the evening, as if everyone understood they were witnessing a performer who operates according to her own rules. The energy was not frantic or chaotic; it was attentive, curious and deeply engaged.The set unfolded as a journey through the many dimensions of her artistic identity. Private Life carried its familiar tension and elegance, while Demolition Man injected a harder, more rebellious energy. Jones moved effortlessly between moods, proving once again that her music has never belonged to a single genre or era. Reggae, new wave, disco, funk and art-pop merged into a sound world that remains uniquely her own.One of the evening’s most memorable moments came during My Jamaican Guy and I’ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango), songs that showcased the eclectic influences that have shaped her career. The performance balanced theatricality with precision, revealing an artist who understands exactly how to control the emotional rhythm of a live show.Yet Grace Jones has never been content to remain confined to a stage.and always in full presence dancing , talking non stop to her audience .As the concert gathered momentum, she dissolved the distance between performer and audience in spectacular fashion. To the delight of the crowd, Jones climbed onto the shoulders of a security guard and ventured directly into the audience. The moment felt entirely characteristic of her—bold, playful and completely fearless. Rather than standing apart from the thousands gathered before her, she became part of the crowd itself, turning a vast festival audience into something unexpectedly intimate.It was one of those rare moments that instantly becomes part of a concert’s Jamaican goddess .Equally unforgettable was the appearance of the hula hoop, a Grace Jones tradition that has become legendary in its own right. Spinning the hoop effortlessly while continuing to perform, she transformed what could have been a simple visual gimmick into a display of stamina, concentration and charisma. The crowd responded with a mixture of admiration and disbelief.At an age , 77 when many artists simplify their performances, Jones seemed determined and unstoppable , changing costumes to demonstrate that she remained capable of surprising everyone. Throughout the concert, Jones maintained a remarkable dialogue with the audience. She never relied solely on the familiarity of her songs to generate excitement. Instead, she created a constant exchange of energy, responding to the mood of the crowd while simultaneously shaping it. Applause would swell after a gesture, a smile or a spontaneous moment, and she seemed to absorb that reaction before sending it back with even greater intensity. It was a relationship built not on distance but on participation. The audience was not simply watching the performance unfold; it felt actively involved in it.This connection became increasingly evident as the evening progressed. People who had arrived as spectators gradually became participants. Heads nodded in rhythm, voices joined together during familiar choruses and entire sections of the crowd moved as one. The atmosphere was celebratory without ever feeling forced. Grace Jones possesses the rare ability to make a large festival crowd feel connected, transforming thousands of individuals into a collective audience sharing the same emotional experience.The emotional heart of the evening arrived with Williams’ Blood. Deeply personal and reflective, the song offered a glimpse into another side of her artistry. Beneath the striking image and commanding stage presence lies a performer capable of profound emotional depth. The audience listened attentively as the song’s themes of family, resilience and identity resonated across the lakeside setting.As darkness settled over Montreux, the mood shifted once again. Love Is the Drug brought fresh energy, while Pull Up to the Bumper transformed the Lake Stage into a celebration. Generations of fans sang along, united by songs that have lost none of their vitality over the decades. By this point, the atmosphere on the Lake Stage had reached a remarkable intensity. The setting itself seemed to contribute to the experience. The lights reflected across the waters of Lake Geneva while the summer night settled around the festival grounds, creating a backdrop that felt almost cinematic. Against this scenery, Jones remained the undeniable focal point. Every appearance at the front of the stage generated a fresh wave of excitement, every movement drawing a visible reaction from the crowd.What made the evening memorable was not simply the performance itself but the sense of occasion it created. There was an undeniable feeling that the audience was experiencing something unique, something that could not be replicated elsewhere. The cheers grew louder as the concert progressed, not only because of the songs being performed but because of the appreciation for an artist still capable of surprising, challenging and entertaining in equal measure. Long after individual moments had passed, their energy lingered in the air, contributing to a collective mood of celebration that carried through to the final notes of the set.The concert reached its climax with Slave to the Rhythm. More than a closing number, it felt like a statement of purpose. The song’s themes of discipline, transformation and artistic endurance echoed through the performance itself. Every aspect of the evening seemed to lead naturally to that final declaration.What made Grace Jones’s appearance at Montreux so compelling was not merely the quality of the music, but the completeness of the experience. She sang, danced, provoked, amused and surprised. She moved between elegance and irreverence, intimacy and spectacle, always maintaining absolute control of the stage and the audience alike.In an age increasingly dominated by carefully scripted performances, Grace Jones remains thrillingly unpredictable. Her Montreux appearance was a reminder that true stage presence cannot be manufactured. It comes from originality, confidence and a willingness to take risks.For nearly ninety minutes on the shores of Lake Geneva, Grace Jones offered all three.The audience left having witnessed more than a concert.They had witnessed Grace Jones being exactly what she has always been and has her entire audience under her thumb. For me that made Montreux jazz he best place tp be looking at the sunset with Grace Jones through her amazing energy that she kept since 80’s and creating for us all memories forever , Grace Jones is an icon and will never be anything else but one of the best female performer of her time..