Geneva, Switzerland — Events
Geneva Music Festival
The streets of Geneva are turned into a huge musical stage every year at the Music Festival with hundreds of concerts of all types performed by local and international artists. The city fills with the sound of music, from rock bands to classical orchestras. For more information phone +41 (0)22 418 6532 or email fetedelamusique@ville-ge.ch
Montreux Jazz Festival
Held on the eastern shore of beautiful Lake Geneva, the Montreux Jazz Festival attracts around 200,000 people each year. Specialising in jazz, blues, rock and pop, the festival provides groove busting beats that make you want to move your body or just listen in musical awe. The Montreux Jazz Festival has hosted the likes of Stan Getz, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Mingus and Dexter Gordon since its inception in 1967 and this year’s festival will see the likes of rock legend Lenny Kravitz and R’nB queen Alicia Keys.
Geneva Festival
The highlight of the summer season, the Geneva Festival attracts crowds of people to the shore of Lake Geneva for concerts, food and craft from around the world, all types of music from techno to classical, a float parade, fun fair and non-stop entertainment. The grand finale of the festival is a fantastic musical fireworks display.
L'Escalade Celebration
Of all the festivals that take place in Geneva, none rival the pomp and ceremony of L’Escalade, which is one of the oldest and most popular events in the city. The festival is a patriotic celebration of the city’s independence, the Geneva equivalent of Guy Fawkes Day, and commemorates the vain attempt by the Duke of Savoy troops to invade the old walled city in 1602. Many legends surround the historic event, most famously the tale of Mother Royaume who emptied her large cauldron of hot vegetable soup on the attackers below.
International Tree and Lights Festival
Started in 2001, the festival invites artists from all over Europe to decorate trees in prominent positions around the city center, to create artistic lighting effects and other innovative touches. The festival presents a contemporary exhibition of imagination and creativity, where the trees of the city have taken the place of museum walls and are adorned with works from a multitude of artistic disciplines. The biggest Christmas tree will replace Geneva’s Jet d’Eau fountain.
