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CULTURE

Seven events not to miss in Switzerland in April

Whoever said that nothing exciting ever happens in Switzerland was wrong. The month of April, for instance, brims with fun events and festivals happening in all corners of the country.

Seven events not to miss in Switzerland in April
The town of Zermatt (with the Matterhorn in the background) will be 'unplugged' in April . Image by Ricardo Adelaide from Pixabay

Whether you are into music, food, nature, or any other type of activity, you will likely find something that interests you in April. 

These are just some suggestions from different regions, but you can find more to do if you look at your local community’s calendar of events.

If you are interested in just Easter-related festivities, you can find them in this article:

8 of the best Easter events in Switzerland you won’t want to miss

This is what’s on in various regions:

Tulip festival, Morges (Vaud)

You may think this flower is more associated with Holland than with Switzerland, but you will change your mind if your visit the annual tulip extravaganza in this quaint town on the shores of Lake Geneva.

Starting on April 1st and until May 14th, you can walk on winding paths in the Independence Park behind the historic castle and admire more than 300 varieties of tulips you didn’t even know existed.

Just one of over 300 varieties of tulips in Morges. Photo: The Local

Brunch in Reithalle (Basel)

An old stately building scenically set in a big park in the Basel suburb of Wenkenhof, the Reithalle serves “Spring” brunch on two Sundays in April: on the 2nd and the 16th.

It is the local favourite for people in the area, but tourists are welcome as well.

Zermatt unplugged (Valais)

Now that the winter season is almost over in one of Switzerland’s best-known resorts, the town is not about to go into hibernation.

On the contrary, the first whiff of spring is the music festival that will take place between April 11th and 15th.

The stage will be set up in the centre of the village, where you can listen to multi-genre artists performing at the foot of the iconic Matterhorn.

You can find out who is performing on each day of the festival here

Sechseläuten, Zurich

While not a public holiday per se, many businesses, offices, and banks close for the day, so that Zurich residents can celebrate this ancient spring festival that occurs every year on the third Monday of April.

This means that this year it falls on April 17th, and allows for a long weekend of fun and festivities.

This article explains what this holiday is all about:

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

The International Exhibition of Inventions (Geneva)

If you are curious about what unique objects the inventors and nerds from around the world have created, head to the Palexpo in Geneva between April 26th and 30th.

There, you can see about 1,000 new products, both conventional and wacky, that are ready to hit the market.

The Envirama Show will take place in parallel to showcase environmental innovations.

Solothurn Beer Days

Now we are talking!

The largest beer festival in Switzerland will take place from April 27th to 29th in and around the Rythalle in Solothurn.

More than 50 local, regional and national breweries, both micro and medium-sized, will present their art of brewing.

According to organisers, this annual event, which started in 2004, always makes a big splash, though hopefully not literally.


E guete! Image by Alexa from Pixabay 

Food Truck Festival, Locarno (Ticino)

If you are a fan of good street food, then the one taking place in Piazza Grande in Locarno from April 28th to May 1st, may be just up your alley.

You will be able to sample not just authentic dishes from Ticino and Italy, but also from other parts of Switzerland — all cooked in and served from trucks and caravans.

And if you are interested in what is taking place in general during April, this article will help:

Everything that changes about life in Switzerland in April 2023

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CULTURE

Sting, Deep Purple return to Montreux Jazz Festival

Deep Purple, Sting and Lenny Kravitz will return for this year's Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, while Duran Duran will close the event with their debut appearance, organisers announced Thursday.

Sting, Deep Purple return to Montreux Jazz Festival

“This 58th edition preserves the values that make the Montreux Jazz Festival unique,” said chief executive Mathieu Jaton.

“Our intimate stages, the constant pursuit of an optimal musical experience for both festival- goers and artists, and our musical DNA, blending heritage acts and new trends, remain at the very heart of our aims.”

Dionne Warwick, the Smashing Pumpkins, Massive Attack, Air, Kraftwerk, PJ Harvey, The National, Andre 3000, Paloma Faith and Loreen are among the other major acts appearing at the festival, which runs from July 5th to 20th

.For more than half a century, Montreux has been a magnet for big names in the music business, as well as for rising stars. It has retained its jazz label despite dramatically expanding its repertoire since the first edition in 1967.

Around 250,000 people are expected to visit the festival, which takes over much of the waterfront in the picturesque town on Lake Geneva in western Switzerland.

Veteran British heavy rockers Deep Purple will be appearing for the 10th time, extending their deep connections with the town: famously, their hit “Smoke on the Water” chronicles witnessing the 1971 fire that destroyed the Montreux Casino.

Sting’s eighth appearance will see him perform in a trio for the first time, with a guitarist and drummer joining the singer/bassist.

Acts paired 

Acts will be appearing on double bills. Alice Cooper is teamed with Deep Purple; Editors are paired with the Smashing Pumpkins; jazz singer-pianists Diana Krall and Jamie Cullum appear on the middle Saturday, while Soft Cell and Duran Duran will bring down the curtain on the festival.

French duo Air will be playing their debut album “Moon Safari” in full, paired with Massive Attack.

“The 2024 edition preserves the Montreux Jazz Festival’s values and distinctiveness in its programming choices, its intimate venues and the quality of the listening experience,” organisers said.

“Faithful to its musical DNA, the festival continues to explore the heritage and current status of American and British music, accounting for over 70 percent of the programme.”

In total there will be 64 shows in the two ticketed venues: the outdoor Lake Stage, with a capacity of 5,500, and the Casino Stage, which can hold 1,300 standing and seated concert- goers. There are 13 other free stages.

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