Swiss music festivals throw in the towel – again – due to Covid
The 2019 edition of the Paléo music fesival near Nyon in western Switzerland attracted 230,000 people over six days.
Keystone / Martial Trezzini
Paléo, Switzerland’s largest outdoor music festival, has been cancelled for the second year in a row due to the Covid-19 pandemic, organisers confirmed on Tuesday. The list of cancelled summer rock festivals in Switzerland continues to grow.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sb
“The Paléo team must unfortunately face the facts. A festival, even a scaled-down event […], will be impossible this summer,” the organisers wrote on their websiteExternal link on Tuesday.
The team had planned a smaller version (5,000 tickets per night and two stages) of their traditional annual event near Nyon in western Switzerland in July/August. The 2019 edition attracted 230,000 festival-goers over six nights.
But organisers were forced to cancel again as they say they find themselves in a “Kafkaesque situation” due to the pandemic.
“Even if the authorities were to announce good news regarding capacity for example, we can’t know if, nor when, such an authorisation will be granted. If we were to start working on the event and it ended up being unauthorised, the risk of financial losses could be unsustainable,” said Daniel Rossellat, president of the Paléo Association.
A last-minute cancellation would cost CHF8.4 million ($8.9 million), he said. Tickets already sold for the two cancelled editions will be valid for 2022 when the festival hopes to return “with a bang”, it said.
The Paléo cancellation follows similar bad news from major outdoor summer music festivals in German-speaking regions of Switzerland.
The Greenfield Festival in Interlaken was cancelled on March 10, while the Gurten festival in Bern – which draws 80,000 people – and the St Gallen Open-Air, which sells 120,000 tickets, followed on March 22 with news of their cancellations. They are all planning 2022 editions.
The Swiss government has eased several Covid-19 restrictions, including the re-opening of shops, museums and outdoor leisure facilities, but a ban on outdoor events like music festivals remains in place.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Has your continent reached its peak or is there still potential for economic growth?
Some regions of the world are on an upward trajectory with the promise of a steadily improving future. Where do you live? And in which direction is your region or continent developing?
Living longer: What do you think about the longevity trend?
The longevity market is booming thanks in part to advances in the science of ageing. What do you think of the idea of significantly extending human lifespan?
WTO improves its world trade forecast thanks to Trump’s tariffs
This content was published on
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) expects world trade to grow by 0.9% this year, better than expected in April. US imports surged in the first quarter as a result of Donald Trump's tariff announcements.
Swiss gold exports might not face US tariffs after all
This content was published on
Gold exports to the United States may not be taxed after all. The White House plans to "issue an executive order in the near future to clarify misinformation regarding the taxation of gold bullion," among other things.
Heat warning issued in western and southern Switzerland
This content was published on
With the coming days set to be hot, authorities have declared a danger level of 3 out of 5 for certain parts of the country.
Switzerland concerned by fresh Israeli plans for Gaza
This content was published on
The foreign ministry has said it is “deeply concerned” about Israel’s plans to expand military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Swiss carnival enthusiasts mourn second lost season
This content was published on
The pandemic has put paid to the traditional cultural and social event for a second successive season. In Lucerne, home to one of the biggest processions, more than 100 people defied the lockdown to mark what should have been the start of a weeks-long spectacle of exotic costumes and music. A coffin was placed in…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.