Music festivals

Sensational Gstaad sounds all year round

The Gstaad holiday region is a superb acoustic arena – an absolute treat for body and mind. No wonder, then, that Gstaad and the surrounding area serve as a venue for top-class music festivals with huge stars from all over the world – all year round. Sounds range from the Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy to Country Night Gstaad, from the Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad to the Gstaad New Year Music Festival.

Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy – the ultimate draw for classical music lovers

Since 1957, the Gstaad Menuhin Festival 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 Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy, under the expert leadership of long-standing director Christoph N.F. Müller, 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.

Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy

Menuhin centre in Saanen

Menuhin bequeathed a musical and spiritual legacy to the community through his music. The Menuhin Center Saanen was founded in recognition of his accomplishments. This is housed in the historic Chalet Salzhüsi – a must-visit for all Menuhin fans. For a contemplative stroll, don’t miss the Philosopher’s Trail between Gstaad and Saanen. Running alongside the River Saane, it is punctuated by 12 quotes from the great violinist, like a physical train of thought. The experience is a delight for all the senses.

Menuhin centre Gstaad

You can see a small wooden chalet with two floors. On the first floor, two flags hang by the windows. One is the Bernese flag with two corners in red and a yellow stripe in the centre where the black bear stands. The second is the Saanen flag - red background and a white crane standing on three grey stones. The chalet has small windows and an outside staircase leads to the first floor. — Yehudi Menuhin Centre outside

A country band playing on stage in Gstaad to a cheering audience. — Country Night Gstaad

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Country Night Gstaad – an annual extravaganza

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.

Country Night Gstaad