Fun Events in August

August is just around the corner! The month of the birth of the Swiss confederation. I hope that you all got yourself some cheese and planned a fun grilling followed by a dip at the lake to refresh from the heat.

So here are as usual the fun events that you cannot miss this month:

1st of August

Geneva– National Day celebrations with fun activities at Le parc La Grange starting at 15:00 various food options, shows and concerts.

Vaud– National Day Celebrations will take place in different forms and places around the beautiful Canton. From fireworks in Ouchy to Alphorns in Villars and many other fun activities in between.

The Rhine Falls– You can enjoy the fireworks at the beautiful falls on the 31st of July at around 21:45.

Bern– Bern invites you to 2 days of fun. The 31st of July and the 1st of August in which you will celebrate both the National day and the constitution. From family-friendly activities such as face painting to a lantern parade, food trucks and more.

Lucerne– National Day celebrations at the Europaplatz with music and  flag-wavers on the 31.08. As well as on the 01.08 at the Bürgenstock Resort.

Basel– National Day celebrations in Basel start as well on the 31st of July with a big city festival on the Rhine. In addition to around 90 taverns and stalls as well as music stages and performances, you will also enjoy a fireworks show at 23:00.

Ascona– National Day celebrations with Show dancing fountains and activities on the Piazza di Ascona.

Other National Day celebrations are in: Thun, Grindelwald, Gruyères, Zermatt, Fribourg,

2nd of August

Grindelwald– Street Festival: The main street becomes a festival street from 20:00 until 00:00 on the 02./09./16. of August.

4th of August

Basel– The Street food Festival will take place in Basel from the 04.08-06.08. Here you can find around 50 stands from about 33 countries.

Brienz– The Rock festival in Brienz attract rock fans from all around Switzerland. The festival will take place from the 04.08-06.08.

5th of August

Nyon– Triathlon: The sporting event of La Côte is the largest triathlon in Switzerland, welcoming nearly 2,300 athletes and 600 volunteers of all ages.

Mürren– The Village Festival will take place on both Saturday and Sunday with a traditional parade on Sunday at 13:30.

Crans-Montana – Cycling Challenge: The Tour des Stations takes you through enchanting Valais scenery, from vineyards to the high mountains.

Saas-Fee– The traditional ring cows fight in Valais.

Klewenalp– The traditional wrestling festival on the Klewenalp is taking place for the 29th time.

Leuggern– Flight days: Around 100 model pilots from Germany, Holland, Italy, Austria and Switzerland will show their aviation skills.

Villars-sur-Ollon– The Villars Hiking Festival will join forces with the Swiss Mountain Leaders Association and offer a wide choice of excursions, ranging in duration from a few hours to a day.

6th of August

Männlichen– The big meeting of the Alphorns takes place on the Männlichen in the beautiful mountain landscape of the Bernese Oberland.

8th of August

Basel– The free summer event brings a Mediterranean festival mood to Basel. Performing on a floating stage on the Rhine with a sail-shaped canopy from the 08.08-26.08.

Neuchâtel– Many different artistic and musical performances will take place around the city between the 08-13.08.

Saas- Feestival: From 8 July to 11 August 2023, the Saas Valley changes into a big open-air stage. 

9th of August

Winterthur– The Winterthur Music Festival takes place in the old town between the 09-20.08. In addition to the daily concerts, there is also cabaret, street music and up-and-coming bands to discover.

10th of August

Bern– The Buskers Festival invites you to get entertained by street artists with music, dance, comedy, puppet theatre, art and so much more. When: from the 10th to the 12th of August.

Sion– The Guinness Irish Festival is a Celtic music festival which takes place between the 10-12.08.

11th of August

Chur– The largest folk festival in Graubünden with music and culinary delights from all over the world. Taking place from the 11th to the 13th of August.

Kreuzlingen- The Fantastical is a summer highlight on Lake Constance with the largest fireworks display on Lake Constance, DJs, live music, a children’s area, rides and street food. When: 11-13.08.

Thun- Thun’s largest annual festival with live music and food stands is happening between the 11-13.08.

Lucerne- Lakeside Symphony: A Festival highlight of live concerts on the big screen at Lucerne’s lnseli Park with a view of Lake Lucerne at evening and the magnificent panorama of Rigi, Bürgenstock, and other mountain peaks.

Murten- A charming Party in the streets of the cozy old town with food stalls. Between the 11-12.08.

Aarau- Music festival between the 11-12.08 with musical variety in the restaurants in the old town of Aarau and the market hall.

Saignelégier- A famous horse show with races, country quadrilles and a parade featuring more than 400 horses.

Olten- The Oltner Chilbi (fair) is the 3rd largest of its kind in Switzerland with over 140 stands. When: from the 11-14.08.

Lichtensteig- The three-day festival in the streets of Lichtensteig.

Zofingen- 3 days of open-air festival from the 11-13.08.

Appenzell– Folk Festival between the 11th to the 13th of August.

12th of August

Zurich- Street parade with hundreds of thousands of electro and techno fans dance around Zurich’s lake basin.

Zermatt- Folklore Festival is the largest cultural summer event in Zermatt with a stunning traditional parade.

Grandson- Medieval festival at the Château of Grandson with a rich programme featuring musicians, jugglers, dancers and craftsmen. When: 12-13.08

St-Cergue- The mid-summer Feast in Saint-Cergue takes places yearly around mid-August with a beautiful cows beauty competition ans other Swiss traditions.

Morges– Fun different tours for the entire family with the little train till October.

13th of August

Weisstannen- Parades, traditional handicrafts, small concerts and much more allow you to look back in time to the 19th century.

14th of August

Fribourg- International Folklore Festival with nearly 300 dancers, singers and musicians join Fribourg to share the joy and the colors of their traditions. When: 14-20.08.

Brunnen- The traditional costume group of Brunnen invites you to an evening of yodeling, Schwyzerörgel sounds and Swiss folklore. In good weather the group will perform in the open air at the ship station.

Saas Grund- Farmers Festival Thriftalp an alpine festival with local customs and folklore.

15th of August

Vaduz: A Folk festival in Lichtenstein, this might not be in Switzerland but it’s right on the border and you will discover a fascinating new culture.

16th of August

Morges- Musical World Tour of Buskers À Morges. 4 days of celebration, music in the pedestrian streets with 50 artists, 16 groups and 100 concerts. From the 16th till the 20th of August.

Penthaz- The Venoge Festival is the largest open-air music festival in the Gros de Vaud and the Lausanne region. when: 16-20.08.

17th of August

Saanen- An international polo tournament in Saanen with top-ranking players and very tough competition. Free entry.

Zurich- The Zurich Theater Spektakel is an international festival with drama, dance, concerts, music projects, installations and an extensive family program. When: 17.08-03.09.

Gampel- Open-air rock festival from the 17th till the 20th of August.

Schwarzsee- Festival Lac Noir aims to unite art, culture and music and make it accessible to the general public. When: 17-20.08.

18th of August

Baden- The largest urban folk festival in Switzerland and it only takes place every ten years!! the event is not to be missed and happens between the 18.08-27.08.

Basel- The Jazzfest is probably the world’s largest one-day jazz event, where all concerts can still be attended free of charge.

St. Gallen- St. Galler Fest is one of the biggest city festivals in Switzerland! with live music, DJ’s, folklore and brass band music. Taking place from the 18-19.08

Tavannes- The Festival of the Seasons is back for 3 days of three days, stalls, dance halls and a large procession.

Aarau- Street Food Festival with delicacies from 30 different countries from the 18-20.08.

Brienz- The first Latino Festival in Brienz will take place from the 18th to the 20th of August.

Lenzburg- A well mixed program, from classical jugglers to acrobats, comedians and magicians from the 18-20.08.

Kandersteg- A Country Festival with Kim Carson and Randy Thompson, food stands and numerous attractions. Such as bull riding, horseshoes, line dancing and more.

Vallamand- Rock The Lakes is an open air festival on the lake Murat. With 24 concerts, international stars and Swiss bands from the 18-20.08.

19th of August

Basel- The Bikefestival Basel offers Dirt Jumps, Pumptrack, Bike-Trial, Slopestyle – framed by a large village with exhibitors, attractions and a gastronomic finds. When: 19th and 20th of August.

Payerne- A funfair with traditional shooting competition of more than 500 shooters and other fun attractions.

Rapperswil- The popular swim from the island of Lützelau back to the pool with a distance of around 1,500m.

St. Ursanne- The Swiss round of the European Hill-Climb Championship, St. Ursanne – Les Rangiers is a famous race.

22nd of August

Zurich– The Zürich Open air is the largest and most popular open-air festival in Zurich. With electronic and rock sounds as well as a fascinating festival area with various food and entertainment stands. When: 22.08-26.08

23rd of August

Olten- International Photo Festival Olten with some of the world’s best photographers, photo directors from leading magazines. When: 2308-27.08.

24th of August

Geneva- La Batie-Festival comprises some forty productions, each exemplifying the best of contemporary works from home and abroad. When: 24.08-10.09.

Kreuzlingen- The Bodensee Cup has offers a unique opportunity to experience top-class international ice hockey in the Lake Constance region. From the 24-26.08.

Begnins- The JVAL Openair is a rock music festival taking place every year in August in the wine estate Domaine de Serreaux-Dessus in Begnins. Dates: 24-26.08.

25th of August

Locarno- A fun Risotto Festival with local chefs and guests will cook risotto that gourmets can taste. When: 25-26.08.

Zurich- The “Dörflifäscht”: for 2 days, the history-steeped Niederdorf quarteris transformed into an exuberant party mile.

Arbon- The SummerDays Festival invites again to the cozy summer festival in Arbon in Thurgau. Not only the unique location with direct access to Lake Constance and live shows, but also a diverse range of food stalls. When: 25-26.08.

Château-d’Œx- International VW Beetle Meeting takes place every two years brings up to 1,500 VW Beetles.

La Neuveville- St. Joux Festival with a series of free concerts on Friday and Saturday.

Yverdon-les-Bains- The Numerik Games Festival, the only event of its kind in Switzerland dedicated to digital creativity

Aarburg- The largest rock ‘n’ roll festival in Switzerland with over 78,000 visitors right at the Swiss motorway junction.

26th of August

Vevey- The lake crossing swim is a popular swimming event on the lake with 2 popular races (1500m and 500m), the great lake crossing (8.4 km) from St Gingolph and lots of new activities for all on the lakeshore.

Neuhausen- The classic car meeting will take place in Neuhausen am Rheinfall on Saturday, August 26, 2023.

Augst- Over 500 participants bring the ancient Roman city of Augusta Raurica’s distinguished monuments to life.

Estavayer-le-Lac- The Bénichon Festival is A tradition of Fribourg during which food and conviviality are the main subjects. When: 26-27.08.

Lausanne- The Lausanne Triathlon takes place in Ouchy, on the lakeshore, and offers experienced amateur athletes the opportunity to compete in the three disciplines over the Olympic distances.

27th of August

Interlaken- Switzerland’s best wrestlers compete at the Unspunnen-Schwinget and swing for a wreath.

Chéserex- VTT La Barillette is first and foremost a great cycling festival that takes place at the end of August.

28th of August

Champex-Lac: Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc– the race passes through La Fouly and Champex-Lac where refreshments and entertainment will be organized.

30th of August

Lausanne- The Afro Fusions Festival is the largest African cultural event in the canton of Vaud.

Willisau– Jazz Festival- Willisau becomes a Mecca for jazz lovers for five days.

Wetzikon: ZOM Züri Oberland Mäss- A diverse world of practical products, inspiration, trends and eventful content with special program for families: on Saturday afternoon, various adventure stations with games and fun.

31st of August

Avenches- Tattoo is an international music festival known as the 2nd biggest event of its type in Switzerland and is held in the magical Roman amphitheater in Avenches. When: 31.08-02.09.