Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Anita Baker return to the Montreux Jazz Festival for the 46th edition that founder “Funky” Claude Nobs hopes will go on into the early hours with improvised jam sessions.

New talents Lana Del Rey and Ed Sheeran, as well as veterans Jane Birkin, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Tony Bennett are also booked at one of Europe’s most prestigious music festivals that runs from June 29 to July 14 along the shores of Lake Geneva.

Mr Dylan performs on July 8 for the first time here since 1998, with Chicago Blues opening for the American legend, now 71.

Van Morrison and Buddy Guy appear the night before, and Mr Nobs hopes that the Northern Irish singer who is staying on a day longer will join Mr Dylan in some poetic lyrics at the Stravinski Auditorium.

Other line-up highlights include Detroit-based Anita Baker and a 1970s disco evening billed as Freak Out featuring Nile Rodgers & Chic, Mark Ronson and Grace Jones.

House television series actor Hugh Laurie, a blues singer whose debut album Let Them Talk soared on the charts, performs with Dr John and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue on July 9.

Katie Melua, Jethro Tull, Alanis Morissette, American R&B stars Erykah Badu and D’Angelo, Brazil’s Gilberto Gil, Jessie J and Janelle Monae are also booked.

Meanwhile, the festival’s archives of 5,000 hours of music contained on 10,000 recording tapes are being digitalised to preserve 45 years of history, according to Mr Nobs, dubbed “Funky Claude” by Deep Purple in their 1970’s hit Smoke on the Water about a fire raging in the posh Swiss lakeside resort.

“We are in discussions with Unesco on the archives. Personally, I’m convinced it will happen,” he told reporters.