La Fête de la Musique
Geneva's streets explode into life once again this June with La Fête de la Musique. Showcasing hundreds of acts of classical and contemporary music, as well as dance, DJs and even films, this free festival is a great way to get your culture hit!
La Fête de la Musique in Geneva
Where do you begin with a festival like this? 32 stages will pop up in Geneva city centre, ready to transport you to a world where music and art are happening on every corner.
Access to culture is the name of the game here, so as well as the (many, many) stages, there will be performances out and about on the streets. People are encouraged to get involved via workshops, as well as specially designed activities for children and the whole family.
There's classical and hip-hop music, dance events, DJs at a skatepark and even an aerial acrobatic show to live music! Now in its 33rd year, La Fête de la Musique attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors and really is an unmissable event.
New attractions at La Fête de la Musique this year
Never one to sit on its laurels, La Fête de la Musique is introducing several new concepts this year. Part of the festival's mission is to improve access to art and culture and reach out to new audiences. An innovative way of doing that this year is with the addition of RELAX concerts. These five specially designated concerts take place in a supportive, relaxed and caring atmosphere.
If you need to stand up during the concert, you can, if you want to laugh out loud, feel free and if you need to leave and come back again, you are very welcome to. It's all about breaking down those invisible social barriers that can leave some people feeling that they, or some of their behaviours, are unwelcome at concerts.
Next up is their push for sustainability. There are over 30 different food vendors at the festival, but you won't find a single paper plate thrown on the floor this year. All food must be served with reusable plates and cutlery, cutting the waste generated by the event considerably. Just make sure you remember to return your dirty dishes to the designated spots!
There is also the launch of RESTO!, a full-service, sit-down restaurant with Mediterranean-style food. The menu is designed to use food with short supply chains and that creates minimal waste. The restaurant doesn't take reservations and is located in the Parc des Bastions.
Venues at La Fête de la Musique
The whole area of the festival is pedestrianised, making it easy and pleasant to wander between the many stages. Most are no more than a few minutes walk away from each other. The focus of the event is in the Old City and the Parc des Bastions.
There is also a new venue, with Parc La Grange taking part for the first time. The Ella Fitzgerald stage is using the event as a way to open its own summer programme of concerts, and there are tango, poetry, video games and sound experiments going on as well!
Timetable for attending
The sheer quantity of things happening means there will always be something on to keep you entertained. These are the main opening hours of the festival:
- Friday, June 21: 7pm-2am (concerts end at 1am)
- Saturday, June 22: 11am-2am (concerts end at 1am)
- Sunday, June 23: 11am-10pm (concerts end at 9pm)
More information about La Fête de la Musique
All the events are free, but a few need prior reservations due to limited spaces. You can find out more about the line-up and a map of all the stages on the La Fête de la Musique website.
As it's a city centre event, it's not recommended to drive to the event. Geneva is well-serviced by public transport from other cities such as Zurich, Lucerne and Lausanne, and the train station is just a 15-minute walk from the festival site.