Music festivals

Since 1957, the Menuhin Festival Gstaad has been a superlative synthesis of art, passion and landscape. Lord Yehudi Menuhin (1916–1999), himself a gifted violinist, was immediately enchanted by the breathtaking scenery and rich traditions of the Saanenland. Together with the local tourism association and a few brave hoteliers, he took the initiative to invite some friends here to play music. Over 65 years, this has become one of the most important classical music festivals in the Alpine region. For seven weeks from mid-July to the beginning of September, the Menuhin Festival Gstaad, under the expert leadership of the artistic director Daniel Hope, draws classical music aficionados to church concerts, large galas in the festival tent and creative sessions in the countryside. Private instigators and the municipality of Saanen are now planning the creation of the Gstaad Concert Hall, as a long-awaited venue for such events.

Stetsons, cowboy boots and leather waistcoats at the ready – let’s go line dancing! The legendary Country Night Gstaad has taken place at the Gstaad Festival Tent every mid-September since 1992. With its 11,000 cows and rustic authenticity, the holiday region of Gstaad is the perfect backdrop for the biggest and most popular gathering of country music aficionados in Switzerland.