Festivals in Switzerland: 2010
- Here's a list of the most important events in Switzerland for 2010. For more information about these and other events, please visit www.myswitzerland.com and www.whatsonwhen.com. Note that Catholic areas of Switzerland may observe different holidays than Protestant areas (as noted).
- NOTE: Before planning a trip around a festival, make sure that you verify the festival dates at the festival or local TI's website.
- Related travel information in Switzerland.
| Jan 1 | New Year's Day | Switzerland |
| Jan 2 | Harder Potschete (parade of masked children, awards) | Interlaken (Berner Oberland) |
| Jan 6 | Epiphany (some closures) | Switzerland |
| Feb | Mardi Gras (a.k.a. "Karneval" or "Fasnacht," parades, costumes, and other celebrations; dates vary — in Bern see http://fasnacht.be, in Zürich see www.zurichcarneval.ch, in Basel see www.fasnacht.ch) | Especially Luzern, Bern, Zürich, and Basel |
| March – May | International Jazz Festival | Bern |
| March 20 – 28 | Luzern Easter Music Festival (classical) | Luzern |
| April 2 | Good Friday (some closures) | Switzerland |
| April 4 – 5 | Easter Sunday and Monday (some closures) | Switzerland |
| Third weekend of April (Sun – Mon) | Sechseläuten (spring festival, parades, "winter" effigy burned) | Zürich |
| April 26 | Open-Air Parliament (last Sun in April; public selection of delegates) | Appenzell |
| May 13 | Ascension (closures) | Switzerland |
| May 23 – 24 | Pentecost and Whitmonday (some closures) | Switzerland |
| Early June | Bern Dance Festival (Berner Tanztage, international performers) | Bern |
| June 1 | Whit Monday (religious festival, closures) | Switzerland |
| June 11 | Corpus Christi (religious festival, closures) | Catholic areas |
| Mid June – mid July | Zürich Festival (theater, opera, music, art exhibits) | Zürich |
| June 17 – Sept 4 | William Tell Performance (open-air theater) | Interlaken |
| June 25 – 26 & July 1 – 3 | Estival Jazz | Lugano and Mendrisio |
| July | City Festival (art, music, theater, open-air performances) | Lausanne (Lake Geneva) |
| July 2 – 17 | Montreux International Jazz Festival | Montreux (Lake Geneva) |
| Mid-July | Gurten Open-Air Rock Festival | Bern |
| July 20 – 25 | Paleo Music Festival | Nyon (near Geneva) |
| Aug 1 | Swiss National Day (speeches, music, sports, fireworks, bonfires, closures) | Switzerland |
| Aug 12 – Sept 18 | Luzern Summer Music Festival (classical) | Luzern |
| Aug 15 | Feast of the Assumption (closures) | Catholic areas |
| Oct 3 – 5 | Autumn Festival (Festa d'Autunno — food and wine festival) | Lugano |
| Nov 1 | All Saints' Day | Catholic areas |
| Nov | Luzern Piano Music Festival | Luzern |
| Nov | Traditional Onion Market Fair (Zibelemärit, farmers' market, confetti, jesters) | Bern |
| Dec | Christmas Fairs | Switzerland |
| Dec 6 | St. Nicholas Day | Catholic areas |
| Dec 8 | Feast of the Immaculate Conception | Catholic areas |
| Dec 25 | Christmas (closures) | Switzerland |
| Dec 26 | St. Stephen's Day (closures) | Switzerland |
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