British singer-songwriter Rag'n'Bone Man and French neofolk musician Woodkid are headlining this year's Montreux Jazz Festival, downsized and to be held mostly outdoors due to the pandemic, organisers said Tuesday.

French-Lebanese trumpeter and composer Ibrahim Maalouf and British singer-songwriter Arlo Parks, who was named best breakthrough artist at this year's Brit Awards, are also in the line-up. 

"Small is beautiful," is the informal slogan for the 55th edition of the festival, which was forced to cancel last year's event due to the coronavirus crisis.

The festival has been scheduled for July 2-17, coinciding with the planned loosening of anti-COVID measures in Switzerland.

British singer-songwriter Rag'n'Bone Man will be headlining this year’s Montreux Jazz Festival. Photo: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP

For more than half a century, Montreux has been a magnet for big names of the music business and rising stars alike. 

It has retained its jazz label despite dramatically expanding its repertoire, with big names in rock, punk, R&B and hip-hop also on the bill this year.

The 2021 programme has been condensed and the format adjusted to easily adapt to the COVID-19 situation on the ground in the idyllic Swiss town of Montreux, on the shores of Lake Geneva.

The main stage has been built on the lake, 25 metres from shore, opposite a grandstand that can hold up to 500 spectators.

French musician Woodkid, another crossover artist performing at this year’s edition. Photo: Stephane De Sakutin/AFP

It will be one of only four stages used for the festival – two for ticket holders and two free of chargeable to accommodate a total of up to 1,500 people a day.

Tickets go on sale on June 8.

Organisers also said they would livestream several of the concerts "in order to bring the festival to a larger audience".