practical info
Getting to Montpellier
& getting around
11km from the Mediterranean, about 3h30 by road or 3h by TGV from Barcelona, 4h by road from Italy, 3h30 by TGV or 1h10 by plane from Paris, in the heart of the Occitanie region and close to Provence, Montpellier, France’s 7th largest city, has it all. There are many ways to get to Montpellier.
Discover Montpellier
Discover Montpellier, in the South of France, 10km from the Mediterranean Sea. All our tips for your stay in Montpellier with the Tourist Office!
Your accommodation
The JOST Hôtel is the festival’s accommodation partner. With 84 rooms, apartments and 52 dormitory beds to share or privatize, JOST is the perfect blend of real hotel services and youth hostel conviviality. You can benefit from special “Swinging” rates.
Festival website
The Promenade du Peyrou hosts the festival. Thanks to its location and exceptional views, Place du Peyrou is one of Montpellier’s most emblematic landmarks. The last royal square to be built in France, it is a distinctive 3-hectare esplanade planted with trees, located on the outskirts of the Ecusson at its highest point.
Information point
Information point and welcome desk: the organization’s HQ is in the center of the village! You can collect your wristbands to gain access to the master classes. You’ll be given all the information you need about the festival.
Free wifi
Stay connected during the festival with our partner HABEUM.
2 wifi hotspots are installed on the festival site: at the guinguette and at the wine bar.
The store
You’ll find all the Swinging Montpellier festival products in the official store: gourds, canvas bags, stemware, t-shirts, posters, postcards, notebooks…
Relaxation area
A special relaxation area has been set aside for chilling out on one of Montpellier’s most striking squares to the sound of swing music.
La guinguette
The central bar is a place for socializing and meeting people. We pay special attention to its layout and the products we offer. Our local craft beer is served on tap, as are our regional wines, ensuring maximum freshness. Our soft drinks (lemonade, ginger water, iced tea, etc.) are all served from a dispenser (no bottles or cans). All glasses are reusable, and waste is sorted or returned for a deposit.
Le Bar à Vins
Swinging Montpellier invites you to enjoy a unique culinary experience at the heart of the festival with our wine bar.
On the menu: a selection of wines from our partner AOP Languedoc, renowned for their exceptional quality, character, and diversity.
Red, white or rosé, these exceptional wines are the perfect accompaniment to your musical moments, between two concerts or during a convivial break.
A true voyage of the senses, between the pleasure of wine and jazz vibrations.
Join us at the festival to share a glass, discover carefully selected vintages and celebrate the art of living in the South of France.
The Cocktail Bar
This year, we’re celebrating the expertise of Noilly Prat, the renowned vermouth from the South of France. Through three exclusive creations, discover how the Extra Dry, Rouge, and Ambré varieties enhance your drinks with their unique flavor profiles.
Whether you’re a fan of classic cocktails or looking for new taste experiences, let us tempt you with our selection of cocktails.
Catering
Food trucks for on-site catering. Relaxation areas for chilling out in one of Montpellier’s most striking squares.
The big stage
The festival’s main stage hosts the evening’s free live concerts:
– Thursday and Friday evenings with the Hot Swing Sextet
– Saturday and Sunday evenings with Carolina Reapers Swing
The small stage
The festival’s small stage is located near the Guingette d’Oc. It hosts the free live concerts at lunchtime:
– Saturday lunchtime with Little Guinguette
– Sunday lunchtime with Petit Vince Trio
The central parquet floor
We doubled it in 2025 to accommodate the teachers’ shows on a 72m² space in front of the stage, and the 200m² space for the dancers below.
Lateral parquet flooring
4 lateral parquet floors of 144m² each host masterclasses during the day. They are located in the shaded walkways of the Promenade du Peyrou. In the evening, the 2 parquet floors near the main stage are used by the dancers during the concert.
Amenities
Water points :
– municipal fountains on the Promenade du Peyrou
– network fountain installed at the central bar where metal water bottles are on sale
Toilets :
– dry toilets installed in the festival area
– public toilets near the Promenade du Peyrou
Eco-designed festival
The eco-responsibility of the Festival and the minimization of its impact on our environment are at the heart of our actions. We are developing concrete solutions:
– Water management: dry toilets, wastewater recycling…
– Encouraging soft mobility: accessible by public transport, on-site bicycle garage, lockers, etc.
– Local and regional sourcing of products and service providers
– Waste reduction and sorting: reusable and recyclable products
– No single-use plastic: metal water bottles sold at cost price
– Information and prevention initiatives
First aid
The first-aid team is present on the festival site to ensure rapid response to any situation requiring medical assistance.
Made up of qualified first-aiders, they ensure the safety and well-being of festival-goers, and intervene in the event of illness, injury or emergency, in coordination with other site teams.
Security
Our security guards on the festival site ensure the smooth running of the event and the safety of all participants.
Made up of qualified staff, some of whom hold SSIAP certification, the team is mobilized to ensure risk prevention, flow management and rapid intervention in case of need.
Their presence helps to ensure a safe, serene and friendly environment, so that everyone can enjoy the festival to the full.
the program
Thursday, July 16, 2026
Festival opening evening
5pm – Doors open
Promenade du Peyrou
5:30 pm / 7 pm – Lindy Hop initiation (free with registration)
Central parquet floor
8pm – Festival inauguration (official speech)
Central parquet floor
8pm / 9pm – Nutcrackers Combo concert (1st part)
Central parquet floor
9:30 pm – Teachers’ show choreographed by Rémy Kouakou Kouamé
Central parquet floor
10pm / 11pm – Nutcrackers Combo concert (2nd part)
Central parquet floor
The Swinging Montpellier Festival is…
Masterclasses & initiations
2 jours (samedi et dimanche) de masterclass de Lindy Hop et de Solo Jazz avec des danseurs internationaux d’exception de Lindy hop et de jazz roots : Korantema Anyimadu (UK), Stephen Atemie (UK), Angela Andrew (UK), Bianca Locatelli (Italie), Nils Andrén (Suède), Josette Wiggan (Etats-Unis), Claudia Fonte (Espagne), Coleen Avril(France), Felipe Braga (Brésil), Marion Quesne (France), Sylvain Guiheneuc (France) et Rémy Kouakou Kouamé (France).
And every day from Thursday to Sunday at 5:30pm, free initiations…
Competitions
Two flagship competitions:
The Choreographic Competition (Friday evening) invites dancers to create a two-minute choreography to a piece by a jazz icon such as Ella Fitzgerald in 2025 or Count Basie in 2024.
This year, Duke Ellington’s repertoire will be featured…
The Jazz vs All Styles Battle (Sunday evening), which pits jazz dancers against dancers from other styles (such as Hip Hop, for example) in an improvised showdown to jazz and pop music tracks carefully selected by a DJ.
Free evenings & concerts
Four free evening events from Thursday through Sunday (swing dances under the stars) and two after-parties (on Friday and Saturday nights) set the tone for the festival, featuring internationally renowned bands (the Holly Bounce Orchestra, the Nutcrackers Combo, the Coffee Grinders Quintet, the Sunny Side Trio, and the Sing & Dance Trio).
The after-parties are held at the Jost Hotel and are hosted by a DJ.