Guide to Music Festivals in Suisse Romande -2008 (Geneva)
Spring is soon here !!! If you’re not used yet to live in Switzerland yet, you have to know that not only flowers bloom here in March : we’ll soon be overcrowded with Music Festivals, and words like « Paleo », « Caribana », « Montreux Jazz », will ring to your ears among birds chirpings, cows mooings, pigeons cooings ( ;-)) and spring water lapping.
I’m not feeling like writing a statement on Rousseau’s Nature vs. Culture assesments, so for once I’ll stick to the topic.
Because it’s really easy to miss the train for buying tickets for Festivals, I’ll try to give you an «action calendar » of what to look at, where, when, and... what for.
As to use « Couleur 3 »’s title, I propose you here a « mini pravda » of what’s going on in the area from now to september.
***Balelec, EPFL Lausanne (VD)***
Dates : 16 may Protected content
Type : Pop, Rock
Website : Protected content
On air for this edition : full program available at the following address :
Protected content
Tickets available from now.
Nice Festival, crowded with students of course. Depending on the program, it's worth a visit.
***Caribana Festival, Crans-sur-Nyon (VD)***
Dates : 5 – 8 june Protected content
Type : Pop, Rock….
Website : Protected content
On air for this edition : Young Gods, Simple Plan, Stereophonics, Keziah Jones, Boy George, Maroon 5.... very masculine prog....
Programme & Tickets : Protected content , on sale from now !
There is an ongoing contest for swiss bands, you can vote for the ones you wish to see on stage in June.
***Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux (VD)***
Dates : 04 – 19 July Protected content
Type : Yes, I need to tell here ;-) Pop, Rock, Jazz, Electro, World music…
Website : Protected content
On air for this edition :
100% sure (officially told) : Deep Purple, Davell Crawford, Jason Mraz, Quincy Jones, Zucchero, The Gossip, CSS, Yael Naim, Camille, Babyshambles, Sheryl Crown, Alicia Keys, Lenny Kravitz, Sheryl Crow, Return to Forever
Official programme : Protected content , tickets available from now !
THE festival that is absolutely worth doing once (if not more). Lot of events organized around it (musical boats, trains), free outdoor concerts, free discos till very early in the morning :-)) and among the best auditoriums ever built as far as acoustics is concerned.
***Paleo Festival, Nyon (VD)***
Dates : Protected content 2008
Type : Pop, Rock, Electro, Funk, Rap, Reggae...
Website : Protected content
On air for this edition : Justice, Solange la Frange, The Raveonettes, Chapter, Asa, REM, Dionysos, Massive Attack, Mika....
Programme known Protected content , tickets available from now
THE other festival with top artists ! more on the students side (beer & pots nearly for free as you can't avoid it), more on the rooty style too. The campsite and usual mud seem as famous as the festival itself !
***Pully for Noise***
Dates : Protected content 2008
Type : Alternative Rock.
Website : Protected content
On air for this edition : see on first page ot the website
Programme & Tickets available from now at Ticketcorner and Fnac
Very alternative... very small Festival (2 scenes) with very interesting groups. For example last year : Archive, !!!, Solange la Frange....
But if it rains and it's cold, it completely sucks : Protected content last summer-
***Rock Oz’Arenes***
Dates : 13 – 16 August Protected content
Type : Pop, Rock, Electro, Rap, Reggae
Website : Protected content
On air for this edition : Mattafix, McSolaar....
Programme & Tickets available from -now at fnac, ticketcorner and resaplus.
That's far of course but they've had some international artists (Radiohead, The Cure, Jamiroquai, Massive Attack, Good Charlotte, Deep Purple, Muse, PJ Harvey, Joe Cocker.....)
And religiously listening to some good music while seating among Protected content in roman arenas is something quite.. impressive.
For all festivals, you can buy tickets on-line on Protected content or ww.starticket.ch, fnac.ch, resaplus.ch....
BUT !!!! if there is a concert you really want to see and you’re afraid of not getting any ticket for it, you have to proceed that way : go on Protected content and open an account, then login 10 minutes before the tickets will be on sale (you will not miss it if it’s such an event), and play with F5 to refresh the webpage frequently.
That way I easily managed to get some tickets for Radiohead at Rock oz Arenes in Avenches whereas the Protected content were sold in 15minutes. Now, if you feel lucky and wish to queue at Fnac anyway, be aware they have around Protected content in advance…only, and can't print out some more before they sold the first ones. Let's say you're really queuing for nothing.
For getting on festivals and sleeping there, as I’m not a travel agency yet I let you check the links + Protected content , because SBB-CFF are offering some special prices for combined tickets train+entrance.
Good Luck, and enjoy the musical season here :-)