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Five Swiss folk festivals you just have to visit this summer

If you live in Switzerland it’s essential to get to know its culture and customs – and visiting one of its fabulously entertaining folk festivals is a great way to do that. Here we pick out five of the best traditional Swiss events taking place this summer. Alphorns at the ready...

Five Swiss folk festivals you just have to visit this summer
Photo: Christof Sonderegger/Swiss Tourism
National Yodelling Festival, Brig, June 22nd-25th
 
Photo: Jodlerfest
 
Where can you see 15,000 yodellers in one place this summer? In Brig-Glis, that’s where. Held in a different place every year, the Jodlerfest returns to the Valais town 30 years after it hosted the festival’s very first edition. Expect crowds of up to 150,000 to descend on the festival ground to see not only yodelling (though there is plenty) but also flag-throwing, alphorn playing and traditional costumes, essential elements of any Swiss folk festival worth its salt. One highlight is the parade on the Sunday.
 
Valais Alphorn Festival, Nendaz, July 21st-23rd
 
Photo: Alphorn Festival
 
A celebration of the alphorn – a kind of Swiss didgeridoo dating from the 16th century – this festival brings together alphorn players from all over the country and elsewhere in the Alps to play to spectators and compete in an official competition. There’s also flag-waving, Swiss wrestling, parades and other traditional entertainment over the course of one weekend.
 
 
Photo: CIME
 
Held every two years, this local festival in the Valais village of Evolène is a celebration of mountain culture that aims to both safeguard local traditions and promote cultural exchange with others. Expect lots of colourful costumes, parades, dance and music performances from both locals and invited guests from other mountain cultures around the world — previous groups have come from India and Uzbekistan, for example.
 
But there's plenty of Swissness too. This year's event is preceded by the Cantonal Costume Festival on August 9th, where 1,000 people from 40 Valais societies will show off their traditional outfits in a parade.
 
Folklore Festival, Zermatt, August 13th 
 
Photo: Zermatt Tourism
 
The centrepiece of this free event is a large parade down Zermatt’s main street featuring dancers and musicians in traditional dress. Start the day with a yodel in the village church at 10.30am before enjoying the food, drink and entertainment in the streets. 
 
Unspunnen, Interlaken, Aug 26th-Sep 3rd 
 
Photo: Unspunnen Festival
 
This year’s unmissable event is this quintessentially Swiss festival held only once every 12 years. Dating back to 1805, it’s now believed to be the world’s largest folklore gathering, attracting some 150,000 spectators to the Höhematte meadow to see events including Schwingen (Swiss wrestling), alpine folk music, flag-throwing, Hornussen and stone-throwing. 
 
The namesake Unspunnen stone is an 83kg boulder traditionally used in the festival’s stone- throwing competition, but its whereabouts are currently unknown after it was stolen (for the second time) in 2005 from an exhibition in an Interlaken hotel. Jura separatists, who stole it the first time back in 1984, are believed to be responsible again.
 
However there doesn’t seem to be any bad blood. “The ‘perpetrators’ are also assured a warm welcome to Interlaken,” say festival organizers. “If you happen to drop by with the stone before the event starts, the president of the organizing committee will open a bottle of good wine so that you can both toast to a successful festival.”
 
Now in its tenth edition, it is being held across two weekends for the first time in its long history.
 
 

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Six unmissable events in Switzerland in April 2024

From Zermatt's unplugged music festival to Swiss beer in Solothurn, there are plenty of events in Switzerland to keep you entertained this April.

Six unmissable events in Switzerland in April 2024

Tulip Festival 

Morges (Lake Geneva), March 29th-May 12th

OK so this festival does start in March but it runs through until May 12th – and April might be the best time to visit. 

The Fête de la Tulipe or Tulip Festival is an annual event held in the city of Morges every year featuring more than 140,000 flowers and around 350 varieties of tulips which you can admire while wandering around. 

This year’s theme is ‘Countries of the World’. The special programme features lots of events, including music and dance, a children’s theatre on Wednesday April 3rd plus guided tours. 

Zermatt Unplugged

Zermatt, Valais, April 9th-13th

This mountain resort may be known for winter sports, but it’s also worth visiting at other times of the year. 

And this music festival, featuring pared-back performances, is a great time to sample Zermatt’s vibrant scene in spring. 

Taking place from April 9th to 13th, you can watch artists, bands and DJs such as Ronny Scott’s All Stars and Jake the Rapper perform next to the unique mountain scenery – including the iconic Matterhorn. 

This year, the festival will showcase 120 concerts across 17 stages spread throughout the village and across the surrounding slopes.

READ ALSO: Eight music festivals in Switzerland you can’t miss this year

Sechseläuten

Zurich, starting April 12th

This four-day festival, which translates to the ‘the six o’clock ringing of the bells’, starts on Friday April 12th, leading up to the climax on Monday April 15th.

The highlight is the procession of the guilds to Sechseläutenplatz with the giant ‘Böögg’ (a snowman effigy that symbolises winter) burning at 6pm on Monday.

While not a public holiday, many businesses, offices, and banks close on Monday so that Zurich residents can celebrate this ancient spring festival.

READ ALSOHere’s why people in Zurich burn a huge snowman every April

International Exhibition of Inventions 

Geneva, April 17th-April 21st

If you’re looking to be inspired or you are in the world of innovative business, the International Exhibition of Inventions might just be the place for you. 

Featuring creations from 40 countries all over the world, this year there will be 1,000 new inventions and products by 800 exhibitors.

More than 30,000 visitors attend this event every year, including hundreds of journalists and entrepreneurs.

It’s taking place at the Grand Saconnex,Palexpo Halle 5 in Geneva and, at the same time, a Climate Fair will be held in the same venue. 

Solothurner Biertage

Solothurn, April 25th-27th

Neighbouring Germany is better known for beer, but that doesn’t mean that beer in Switzerland doesn’t taste great!

That’s right, beer fans should get down to Solothurn Beer Days festival to sample the good stuff. 

More than 50 Swiss breweries will come together for the event to present over 200 varieties of craft beer. 

Make sure you sample some of the great food on offer – including Swiss favourite raclette – to soak up the alcohol. 

A mug of beer on a beer garden table.

A mug of beer on a beer garden table. Photo: Engin Akyurt/Pexels

Food Truck Festival 

Locarno, Ticino, April 26th-28th

Thanks to its location in Europe and diverse population, Switzerland is a great spot for delicious food.

And now there’s a place to sample some of it – you’ll find authentic snacks and delicacies at this food fest in Locarno.

Featuring trucks, caravans and ape cars coming from the north of the Alps as well as Italy, local ingredients are used for a variety of mouthwatering dishes and drinks. 

Make sure you’re hungry when you head to this event, which is free to enter and takes place on the Piazza Grande. 

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