From soothing acoustic sets to hardstyle and deep house, whatever your taste in music, there’s a festival in Switzerland celebrating it – among them some of Europe’s biggest and best.
Here are eight music festivals in Switzerland this year that you can’t afford to miss.
Zermatt Unplugged
What: Acoustic, laidback & hippie.
When: April 9-13th, 2024
Where: Zermatt, Valais
While many festivals in the mountains tend to cater for a crowd more into techno, Zermatt Unplugged leans the other way, leaning towards a more acoustic vibe. Among the headliners in 2024 will be Birdy, Angus & Julia Stone and Patrick Kelly, each playing intimate sets against the stunning backdrop of the Matterhorn.
Looks like the PlanetSKI editor might have had the best few days of his winter. Where?
At Zermatt Unplugged: https://t.co/n9PmuFIXCv@ZERunplugged #skiing #musicinthemountains pic.twitter.com/6O4zWy4kqL— PlanetSKI Snow News (@planetski) April 16, 2018
Openair Frauenfeld
What: Hip-hop
When: June 11-13th, 2024
Where: Frauenfeld, Thurgau
Did you know that Europe’s biggest annual hip-hop festival is in Switzerland? Frauenfeld has hosted the event since 1985 on the beautiful Grosse Allmend north of the town. This year, Open Air Frauenfeld is headlined by Playboy Carti, Nicki Minaj, Hamza, and Skepta.
Paléo Festival de Nyon
What: Pop, hip-hop, rock…
When: June 23 – 28th, 2024
Where: Nyon, Vaud
Taking place in the small village of Nyon, east of Geneva, the Paléo Festival de Nyon is a veteran of Swiss music festivals, first being held in 1976 as a folk festival. Today it plays host to some of the world’s biggest pop acts. This year Burna Boy, Sam Smith, Major Lazer Sound System and Mika will be headlining stages, along with many, many more.
Why shouldn’t Burna Boy Parade himself with PRIDE?
Man set to Headline “The Paleo Festival”
In Switzerland 🇨🇭 On the 23rd July 2024.Note it’s One Of The Biggest Open Air Festivals in World Music with over 300,000 People in attendance.
Burna Boy no small
Damn- This what… pic.twitter.com/zh3f3CCF3i
— son of big wiz 🌱 (@bigwiziii) March 12, 2024
Open Air St Gallen
What: Rock & pop
When: June 28-30th, 2024
Where: St Gallen, St Gallen
From humble (and muddy) beginnings in 1977, Open Air St Gallen has become one of the country’s biggest festivals, pulling in at least 100,000 concertgoers each year for the last five years. Held in the picturesque Siller Valley, just outside St Gallen, this year, the hills will be alive to the sounds of Queens of the Stone Age, the Chainsmokers, and Placebo.
Montreux Jazz Festival
What: Jazz… and almost everything else
When: July 8 – 20th
Where: Montreux, Vaud
The granddaddy of Swiss music festivals, the Montreux Jazz Festival, has become an international icon since its first premiere in 1967. The entire town is transformed into a gigantic festival grounds for the event, with many venues participating and open spaces becoming jam spaces.
The 2024 lineup has yet to be finalised. Still, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, and Leonard Cohen are all previous headliners, as are more modern acts like Jack White and Radiohead.
Miles Davis performing with Michael Henderson, Al Foster and Reggie Lucas at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, 1973 pic.twitter.com/MgxquCuwzi
— Barney Hurley (@barneyhurley1) January 7, 2024
Greenfield Festival
What: Punk & Metal
When: July 13-15th, 2024
Where: Interlaken, Bern
A relatively recent arrival on the Swiss festival circuit, beginning in 2005, the Greenfield Festival rocks the Alps each year in mid-July on the outskirts of beautiful Interlaken, itself nestled between lakes and mountains. This year, Green Day, Bring Me The Horizon, and The Prodigy are headliners.
Gurtenfestival
What: A little of everything alternative
When: July 17-20th, 2024
Where: Wabern bei Bern, Bern
First held in 1977 and yearly since the early 1990s, the Gurtenfestival has taken place on the mountain of the same name outside of Bern. It’s always been a place for exciting new acts and alternative favourites. This year, the festival has a slightly dancier edge, with Justice, Peter Fox, and Brutalismus 3000 headlining the four-day event.
En 45 minutos dará comienzo el concierto de @rosalia en el @gurtenfestival de Suiza 🇨🇭
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•#Rosalia #GRTN23 #Motomami pic.twitter.com/hufNYIPXJ3— Fan Page || Rosalía España (@rosaliavtspain_) July 13, 2023
Street Parade
What: Techno, techno, techno
When: August 10th, 2024
…and now for something a little different. Officially, Street Parade in Zurich isn’t a festival: it’s a big demonstration, attracting around a million visitors to the city. Like the late lamented Berlin Love Parade, there’s a parade and a series of stages boasting over fifty international headlines from all electronic music genres and many more Swiss DJs and producers.
While the lineup is yet to be finalised, the names of headlining acts will continue to be announced throughout the Spring.
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