Carnival draws thousands to Bern
Thousands of spectators attended the Bern carnival procession and the giant concert on Parliament Square on Saturday.
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The carnival bear, the sacrosanct emblem that was locked up on November 11 and reappeared on Thursday, led the procession through the old town. Dozens of costumed groups and musicians braved the drizzle and set the mood. The procession ended in front of the Federal Palace, where the brass bands gave a “monster concert”.
The Bern Carnival was revived in the 1980s and is currently battling a growing lack in interest. According to the organising committee, the number of musicians taking part in the procession has almost halved. The number of visitors is also down.
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The future is uncertain. “We’ll be reassessing the situation every year,” Michelle Uetz, president of the Berner Fasnacht association, told Swiss public broadcaster SRF this week. She added: “We may have to reduce the size of the event in future and adapt the programme.” The financial situation is already a little tight, she said.
Adapted from French by AI/ts
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