Buskers street festival set to take over Bern’s old town

An artist entertains the crowd at a previous Buskers Festival in Bern. ¬ Keystone / Anthony Anex

The old town of Swiss capital Bern, a UNESCO World Heritage site, will once again be the setting for street art. The 21st edition of the Buskers open-air festival runs from August 8-10.

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The organisers are expecting around 60,000 visitors in the alleyways of Bern, they said in a press release. A total of 144 artists from 41 groups and 25 nations will perform at the 23 venues in rotation. They do not receive a fee but can count on hat money from the public.

Half of the programmeExternal link consists of music, the other half of “visuals” such as theatre, dance or acrobatics. As usual, there is no hierarchy for the Buskers – everyone is a headliner.

+ Buskers brighten the streets of Bern

The musical line-up this year is “broader than ever”, according to the press release. The genres range from “cosmic electronic prog rave” to “musica popolare Napoletana” and “world Swiss Nordic folk”.

Once again, the visuals are more about height than breadth. For example, the festival promises a performance by the British street artists Garagthy & Thom on a five-metre-high unicycle and dizzying partner acrobatics by Finnish group Adrift.

In addition to the cosmic and those who have travelled from afar, the festival offers a supporting programme with space for the regional. As part of the youth stages – organised by the Junge Bühne Bern – up-and-coming artists can gain their first stage experience. According to the press release, 60 catering stands, mainly from Bern, will also provide food and drink.

+ Busking business blossoms in Bern and beyond

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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