Latin Festival Thun

The Latin Festival Thun is a cultural and social open-air event that brings together people from different backgrounds, age groups and walks of life. The aim of the festival is to bring Latin American culture to life in all its diversity and at the same time actively promote intercultural exchange and integration in the canton of Bern.

The festival is aimed at children, young people and adults, Swiss people and people with Latin American roots - in short, at the entire population. Through music, dance, culinary delights and personal encounters, an open space is created in which community, respect and joie de vivre take center stage.

Cultural offer

The program of the Latin Festival Thun is diverse and varied. It includes

Live concerts with musicians from Latin America and the region

Dance shows and folklore dances from various Latin American countries

Dance workshops (e.g. salsa, bachata, merengue, son, rumba), open to beginners and advanced dancers

DJ sets with traditional and modern Latin American rhythms

Entertainment and activities for children, teenagers and adults

Latin American gastronomy with typical dishes from different countries

The festival is deliberately low-threshold, family-friendly and invites all visitors to actively participate - whether by dancing, taking part in workshops or through direct interaction with artists and other participants.

Social and integrative objectives

Since its foundation, the organizing association Latinos Unidos has pursued a clear goal: integration through encounters and mutual respect. We are convinced that integration is sustainable when people are allowed to show and live their own culture and at the same time are open to other cultures.

The Latin Festival Thun offers the Latin American community in Switzerland in particular the opportunity to experience a piece of their cultural homeland. At the same time, Swiss people get to know the vibrancy, openness and diversity of Latin American cultures. This breaks down prejudices, establishes new contacts and facilitates long-term friendships.

An important part of our work is also a clear commitment against all forms of racism and exclusion. The festival stands for openness, solidarity and respectful coexistence.

Regional significance

The Latinos Unidos association is based in Thun, with the majority of its members living in the canton of Bern. The festival has regional roots and contributes to the cultural attractiveness of the city of Thun and the region.

Thanks to the strong international networking of the Latino community and the intensive use of social media (photos, videos, music recordings), the festival has a wide reach beyond Switzerland, particularly to Latin America. This creates positive and authentic publicity for Thun, the canton of Bern and Switzerland as an open and diverse society.

Organization and sustainability

The Latin Festival Thun is not profit-oriented. It is organized by the Latinos Unidos association with the support of volunteers. A large part of the work is based on voluntary commitment.

The event is carefully planned, youth protection and safety aspects are taken seriously, and cooperation with local authorities and integration offices is guaranteed. The aim is to hold the festival in a sustainable, respectful and high-quality manner.

Conclusion

The Latin Festival Thun is more than just a music or dance event. It is a meeting place, a cultural bridge project and a visible sign of integration in action. With its mixture of culture, joie de vivre and social commitment, the festival makes a valuable contribution to social cohesion in the canton of Bern.