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WHATS ON

What’s on: Five things to do in Switzerland this weekend

Not sure what to do in Switzerland this weekend? From the world's biggest techno festival to a modern art exhibition. Switzerland has a lot on offer.

Published: 9 August 2019 15:45 CEST
What's on: Five things to do in Switzerland this weekend
Zurich's Street Parade is on this weekend Photo: streetparade.com

Here are five events taking place in Switzerland this weekend:

1. Zurich’s techno parade, Zurich

Photo credit: streetparade.com

Zurich's Street Parade is one of the world's biggest techno parties, with around a million people a year taking part. Held this Saturday August 10th.

It all kicks off at 1pm and ends around midnight – although the after parties will be carrying on long into Sunday. More information here, or visit the official site here.

2. Buskers Bern Street Music Festival, Altstadt Bern

Photo credit: Buskersbern.ch

The Buskers Festival has been taking place all over the world for over 30 years. Held outdoors in the old town of Bern, visitors can walk around and enjoy a range of cultural performances. Street artists performing include musicians, dancers, comedy groups, puppet theatre groups, artist and more. 

The first Buskers Bern Street Music Festival was held in 2004. Since then, every year, the Old Town of Bern hosts over 150 performing artists and attractmore than 70,000 fans to the festival every year.

Visitors are encouraged to support street performers with donations on the spot by throwing money into their hats. More information here.

3.  Art Gathering, La Plage des Six-Pompes

Photo credit: laplage.ch

The “Plage des Six-Pompes“ is the largest arts gathering in Switzerland. It attracts almost 100,000 visitors over seven days. The event is on this Saturday and there are over 50 performing groups and over 500 volunteers. Taking place in the historic town center of La Chaux-de-Fonds, the event is a meeting place for people from all over Switzerland. More information here.

4. Alpine Cycling Festival, Crans Montana

Photo credit: Depositphoto.com

This Alpine cycling festival takes place in Crans-Montana. From Thursday to Sunday, entertainment, exhibitions, tests, workshops, demonstrations, and concerts will take place for cycling enthusiasts and their families. There will be a free shuttle bus for participants after a cycling race between Verbier and Crans-Montana. More information here.

5. Jürg Stäuble: Minimal and Conceptual art exhibition, Nairs

Photocredit:juergstaeuble.ch

For lovers of modern conceptual art, Jürg Stäuble work is on display. The artist has been developing a sculptural work since the 1970s. The exhibition includes works with fabrics, sheets, cardboard, mirrors or Styrofoam. In Nairs, Jürg Stäuble shows drawings from four decades and combines them with new space-related works. More information here.

 

 

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EVENTS

How Cologne is preparing for the start of Carnival on Friday

Dressing up, singing, and drinking: On Friday, countless Jecken (revelers) in Cologne will once again celebrate the start of the Carnival session.

Published: 9 November 2022 10:29 CET
How Cologne is preparing for the start of Carnival on Friday

Dubbed Germany’s “fifth season” by locals, the event starts every year on November 11th at 11:11 am, and typically stretches into February or March, when colourful parades spill into the streets.

Carnival stronghold Cologne in particular is preparing for the onslaught of tens of thousands of people who will flock to its Altstadt (old town), and especially to the student quarter, starting early Friday morning. 

READ ALSO: 10 unmissable events in Germany this November

“Far too many people want to celebrate in far too small a space,” city director Andrea Blome told DPA. “We can’t stop anyone from coming to Cologne now.” 

More security this year

In the popular Kwartier Latäng student quarter, there have been regular bouts of drinking by young partygoers in the past, who crowded into a confined space, leaving litter everywhere and publicly peeing on the corners of buildings. 

Google Maps shows the location of the so-called Kwartier Latäng part of Cologne.

But with a new security plan, the city and police hope to keep the situation under control.

Several checkpoints and road closures have been set up to secure the safety of the revelers and relieve the burden on worried residents, according to Blome. Visitors will only be able to enter the closed-off area around Zülpicher Straße via a single access point. 

On Friday, Cologne is also set to send a total of 150 employees from the Ordnungsamt (public order office) onto the streets, who will be supported by 520 private security guards. 

A glass ban will again apply in the celebration zones, and several hundred toilets will be set up at the hotspots, “which nevertheless will probably not be used by all visitors,” Blome predicted.

READ ALSO: 10 words you need to know at Cologne’s Carnival

Up to 1,100 police officers are expected to be on duty on the day – about 200 fewer than last year, said head of operations Rüdiger Fink. But he expected to keep the situation “under control with a new security plan.”

What to expect

On Cologne’s Heumarkt, there will be a stage program all day with bands such as the Bläck Fööss, the Paveiern and Brings. 

Google Maps shows Cologne’s Heumarkt along the Rhine River.

According to the Willi Ostermann Society, about 10,000 tickets were sold in advance for the event, which will be aired by German WDR for several hours.

Meanwhile, in Düsseldorf, the day will start at 11:11 a.m. with the “Hoppeditz Awakening” in front of City Hall. 

According to a spokesman, the police will be adequately prepared for the start of the season, with a particular focus on the Altstadt, where there will certainly be celebrations.

“But 11.11. is a very different event here in Düsseldorf than in Cologne,” he said, referring to a more orderly start and fewer guests.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about celebrating Carnival in Germany

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