Basel is a lively city with much to offer
Despite its small size it has a thriving creative scene, with on-going art exhibitions, music concerts and city festivals. Basel has a wonderful mix of traditional and contemporary events and is a hotspot for the arts. You can find exciting events taking place in the city centre as well as in neighboring towns, cantons and countries (e.g. France and Germany).
Websites for Events taking place in Basel and Switzerland
Basel Culture Unlimited
Provides information in English and German about events taking place in Basel.
Basel Gastronomy
Part of the Basel, Culture Unlimited website that recommends places to eat depending on location, cuisine and price.
Basel Connect
Part of the Basel, Culture Unlimited website that recommends places to eat depending on location, cuisine and price.
Ticket Corner
Advertises and sells tickets for various events, ranging from comedy performances, theatrical plays and music concerts.
Usgang
Allows you to search for parties, concerts and various events in Switzerland.
My Switzerland
Shows upcoming events in Switzerland.
Annual Events in Basel
Spring (March, April, May)
Basel Carnival
Basel Carnival is part of the city’s identity – culturally speaking, it is at the heart of its creative energies and represents three days when the city goes wild. Owing to its uniqueness and quality, it has been added to the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list.
Source: Basel Tourismus
Basel World
The world’s leading event for this industry attracts the main brands, buyers and media representatives to Basel year after year. For six days, around 700 luxury brands vie against each other with their imposing stands, delighting experts, international celebrities and watch and jewellery connoisseurs alike. Anyone looking for unique quality has come to the right place.
Source: Basel Tourismus https://www.basel.com/en/Baselworld
Summer (June, July, August)
Art Basel
The Art Basel is indisputably the world's biggest fair in the international art market. Around 300 selected galleries from around the world present modern and contemporary works of high quality. Artists, art collectors and many celebrities meet in Basel during these few days and make the city a focal point for the art scene.
Source: Basel Tourismus
Basel Tattoo
This top-quality musical event features bagpipes, brass bands and traditional folk dancing with top dance troupes from around the world and delights both young and old in equal measure.
Source: Basel Tourismus
Im Fluss
First-class live music at the one-of-a-kind «IMFLUSS» open-air concerts. The free summer event will bring a Mediterranean festival mood to Basel
Source: Basel Tourismus
Swiss National Day – 1 August
The National Day on the Rhine celebration on 31 July will mark the start to the National Day festivities again this year. Refreshment and other stands as well as live concerts will ensure a party mood at the celebrations from 5 pm until 1 am on both banks of the river. The festivities will extend along the Kleinbasel bank from the Johanniterbrücke to Wettsteinbrücke and on the Grossbasel side from the Johanniterbrücke to the Mittlere Brücke and from Schifflände to Marktplatz. The fireworks will be lit from two boats, and the best place to see them is on the Kleinbasel bank between the Johanniterbrücke and Wettsteinbrücke.
Source: Basel Tourismus
Autumn (September, October, November)
Swiss Indoors
Every year Basel’s St. Jakobshalle serves as a meeting point for the world’s tennis elite during the run-up to the world championship.
Source: Basel Tourismus
Autumn Fair
The Autumn fair in Basel is more than your average funfair. This traditional event can look back over more than 500 years of history and still enjoys immense popularity. This huge fair is spread over seven of the city’s plazas and also in the trade fair centre, giving the impression that it stretches over the entire city centre.
Source: Basel Tourismus https://www.basel.com/en/autumn-fair
Basel Stadtlauf/City run
The Basel city run takes place at the end of November. The distance you run is determined by your age and gender. Anyone can participate, as long as you are between 6 and 70 years old. It can be a lot of fun, and many individuals run for charity. At the end of this race everyone receives a medal, and you are able to check your results online at:
Winter (December, January, February)
Christmas Market
The Basel Christmas market at Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz is considered to be one of the prettiest and largest in Switzerland. During the run-up to Christmas, many events and spectacular special exhibitions in the city's museums further enrich its cultural scene.
Source: Basel Tourismus
https://www.basel.com/en/Christmas-in-Basel/Christmas-Market
Vogel Gryff
Traditional street march of the three Icons of Basel city, Wilde Maa (Wild Man), Leu (Lion) and Vogel Gryff (Bird). This performance takes place every year in January, and starts on the Rhein continuing throughout the city.
Museum Night
Once a year, Basel´s museums open their doors at an unusual time, offering guests the opportunity to explore their collections by night. More than forty museums and cultural institutions in the Basel region offer a broad mix of art and culture, in dialogue with literature, music, film and theatre, promising a varied night of discovery and new experiences
Source: Basel Tourismus https://www.basel.com/en/Media/Events/Museum-night