Top events

Founded in 2000, the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) is held annually at the beginning of July. The festival is Switzerland's most important genre film event and focuses mainly on fantastic cinema.

“Nothing is impossible for dreamers.” This motto drives an evolving Festival. Steeped in a rich heritage, the Montreux Jazz Festival is being lovingly polished like a treasured LP. On the A- side: three paying venues with their own specific personalities. On the B-side: a selection of free events, fully remastered for this edition.

As summer draws to a close, Winterthur turns up the heat one last time, as the picturesque heart of town springs to life for the 12-days Music Festival Weeks.

Every summer since 2003, the Lake Thun Festival has presented international musicals and in-house productions.

The Biel photo days are in a league of their own as one and only Swiss festival for contemporary photography. The event takes place every year.

Since its foundation in 1946, the Locarno Festival has occupied a unique position in the landscape of the major festivals. Every August, Locarno becomes the world capital of auteur cinema. Thousands of film fans and industry professionals meet here to share their passion for cinema in all its diversity.

The Figura Theatre Festival is Baden's “Biennale” of image theatre, object theatre and puppetry, presenting domestic and foreign productions every two years since 1994.

The «Lausanne Lumières» festival is an art event focussing on the theme of light as a pivotal artistic element.

Fumetto has evolved from a small, regional event into one of Europe's major international comic festivals. Today it is one of the most important platforms for comic art.

LUCERNE FESTIVAL attracts classical music stars from all over the world. The world’s most-celebrated orchestras, legendary conductors, and virtuoso soloists gather in this idyllic setting nestled on Lake Lucerne, in the heart of Switzerland, to celebrate a festival of music.

When the bass rumbles through the streets, the saxophone puts a spring on your step and a husky voice warms your heart, you'll know that jazz is back in Bern. Every spring, the Swiss capital plays host to the International Jazz Festival.

There's one favourite destination for art lovers from around the world: Art Basel, the most prestigious international art fair. For the New York Times it's the "Olympics of art world", for the parisian daily Le Monde it's "The best of the world", for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung it's "Art in its best form" and Vogue calls it "the most beautiful temporary museum of the world".

An international chamber music festival within the medieval walls of the Castello Montebello in Bellinzona (since 2000 UNESCO World Cultural Heritage). This is a music cycle with a unique atmosphere that offers the opportunity to meet the musicians personally.

This unique festival includes around ten concerts featuring top stars from the music world, surrounded by thousands of people on the Piazza Grande.

Innovative, urban and off-beat, the Festival de la Cité is characterised by its unique artistic diversity and a distinct taste for launching newcomers and original projects.

The Solothurn Film Days are the most prestigious festival of Swiss film. Each year in January, the festival presents a representative selection of current Swiss films in the “Forum”.

The Bluesfestival Baden is one of the highlights of the year – and not only for dedicated blues fans.

In the past few years, the Swiss Art Supermarket has established itself as a national art event and become a true success story.

Every year at the end of June, the monastery courtyard in the Abbey District is transformed into an opera setting.