Upcoming Holidays and Festivals in Switzerland
- Before planning a trip around a festival, verify the festival dates on the festival's website or with a local tourist information office. Weather-dependent events such as outdoor alpine festivals are often rescheduled on short notice when the forecast looks iffy; in most cases the events are then postponed exactly one week. For more information about these and other events, visit the official tourism site for Switzerland.
- This list includes major festivals in major cities, plus national holidays observed throughout Switzerland. Many sights and banks close down on national holidays — keep it in mind when planning your itinerary. Note that this isn't a complete list; holidays can strike without warning.
- See upcoming holidays and festivals across Europe
2018
September/October: Alpine cattle descent (Alp- or Almabfahrt, or Alp-or Almabtrieb / Désalpe; cow processions through alpine villages; especially festive in Appenzell dates vary by year and location)
October 5–7: Festa d'Autunno, Lugano (food and wine harvest festival)
October 11–13: Vernier sur Rock (rock/punk/reggae festival near Geneva)
November 1: All Saints' Day (Allerheiligen / La Toussaint; closures in most areas)
November 2–10: Geneva International Film Festival
November 26: Zibelemärit, Bern (traditional onion-market fair)
December: Christmas markets across Switzerland
December 6: St. Nikolaus Day (visits from Samichlaus; mainly in German-speaking areas)
December 7–9: Fête de l'Escalade (torchlight parade with period costumes, commemorating the city's escape from capture in 1602)
December 8: Immaculate Conception (Mariä Empfängnis / Immaculée Conception; closures in some areas)
December 24: Christmas Eve (Heilige Abend / Noël, when the Swiss celebrate Christmas; closures in afternoon and evening)
December 25: Christmas Day (closures)
December 26: St. Steven's Day (closures in most areas)
December 31: New Year's Eve
2018
January 1: New Year's Day (closures)
January 2: St. Berchtold's Day (Berchtoldstag; some closures), Harder-Potschete parade, Interlaken
January 6: Epiphany (closures in some areas)
January–March: Horn sled races, alpine areas
January 13: Gregorian-calendar New Year's Eve celebrations, Appenzell
January 18–20: Lauberhorn ski race, Wengen
January 21–26: World Snow Festival, Grindelwald
January 23–26: Inferno ski race, Mürren
January 26–February 3: International Hot Air Balloon Festival, Château-d'Oex
February 3, 10 & 17: White Turf, St. Moritz (horse races across frozen lake)
Late February–March 2: Chalandamarz, across Graubünden (traditional costumes, processions, bells and whips to chase away winter)
March: Fasnacht (Carnival; especially big deal in Luzern, Zürich, Bern, and Basel)
March 10: Engadin Ski Marathon (huge cross-country ski race that runs through St. Moritz and Samedan)
March 12–May 19: International Jazz Festival Bern
March 19: St. Joseph's Day (Josefstag; closures in some areas)
April (3 weeks): Interlaken Classic Music Festival
March 30: Good Friday (Karfreitag / Vendredi saint; closures in most areas)
April–early May 6: Tulip Festival, Morges (Lake Geneva)
April 6–8: Sechseläuten, Zürich (springtime festival culminating with burning of a snowman on Monday)
April 6–14: Lucerne Festival at Easter
April 21–22: Easter Sunday and Monday (Oster / Pâques and Ostermontag / Lundi de Pâques; closures in most of country)
April 28: Appenzell Landsgemeinde (open-air parliament with public selection of delegates)
May 1: Labor Day (Tag der Arbeit / Fête du Travail; closures in many areas)
May 5: Gruyères Cheese Festival
May 17–20 (likely): Street Artists Festival, Ascona (near Locarno)
May/June/July: Alpine cattle ascent (Alp- or Almaufzug, Alp- or Almauffahrt / Estive; cow processions through alpine villages; especially big in Engstligenalp and Appenzell; dates vary by year and location)
May 30: Ascension (Christi Himmelfahrt / l'Ascension; processions, closures)
June 9–10: Pentecost (Pfingsten / Pentecôte) and Whit Monday (Pfingstmontag / Lundi de Pentecôte; closures in most of country)
June 20: Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam / Fête-Dieu; closures in most areas)
June 21: Fête de la Musique, Lausanne (wide range of music performances in streets and squares)
June 21–23 (likely): Fête de la Musique, Geneva (wide range of music performances in streets and squares)
June 23 (likely): Seealpsee Alphorn gathering, Appenzell
June 28–July 13 (likely): Montreux Jazz Festival
June 29: Sts. Peter and Paul's Day (closures in Graubünden and Ticino)
July–mid-September: Tellspiele (William Tell performances in open-air theater, mostly on Saturdays and Thursdays; Interlaken)
July 5–7: Rosenfest, Weggis (fireworks, music, parades; Lake Lucerne)
July 5–7: Züri Fäscht, Zürich (street festival and fireworks; held every 3 years)
July 7 (likely): Rigi Schwinget (alpine festival with wrestling and traditional music atop Mt. Rigi)
July 9–14: Lausanne City Festival
July 11–13 (likely): Estival Jazz, Lugano (free open-air festival)
July 12–14: St. Ursanne Medieval Festival (northwest Switzerland)
July 12–August 31 (likely): Menuhin Festival, Gstaad (classical music)
July 17–20: Gurten Festival, Bern (open-air rock festival)
July 18–August 4 (likely): Verbier Festival (classical music, near Martigny)
July 19–21 (likely): International Alphorn Festival (Festival de Cor des Alpes), Nendaz (Valais)
July 19–27 (likely): Blue Balls Music Festival, Luzern (blues/jazz/soul/funk/rock/pop/world music)
July 23–28: Paléo Festival, Nyon (huge indie rock, world music festival near Geneva)
July 26–28 (likely): Interlaken International Street Artists Festival (Glauklerfest)
July 28 (likely): National Costume Festival (traditional dress from around Switzerland), atop Männlichen peak (Berner Oberland)
July 31 (likely): Rhine Falls fireworks on the eve of Swiss National Day, Schaffhausen; also Big Bang Lake Festival, Biel / Bienne (fireworks; street fair)
August 1: Swiss National Day (parades and fireworks with biggest celebrations at Rütli meadow on Lake Lucerne; closures)
August 7–17: Locarno International Film Festival
August 8–10: Buskers Bern
August 10: Street Parade, Zürich (city-wide rave)
August 11 (likely): Zermatt Folklore Festival
August 15: Assumption (Mariä Himmelfahrt / l'Assomption de Marie; closures in most areas)
August 16–September 15 (likely): Lucerne Festival in Summer (classical music)
September 5: Jeune Genevois (Thanksgiving in Geneva)
September 7–9: Knabenschiessen, Zürich (shooting competition / carnival)
September 15: Federal Thanksgiving Day (Eidgenössischer Dank-, Buss- und Bettag / Jeûne fédéral, closures everywhere but Geneva; following Monday also holiday in and around Lausanne)