Bild: Keystone
After several years, most recently a break due to corona, Bern has been celebrating a city festival again since Friday. The first concerts on the various stages in the city center started in the late afternoon. The organizers are expecting more than 200,000 visitors by Sunday.
For example, the French-Swiss band Carrousel, which already attracted a sizeable audience, provided Italian flair on the Bundesplatz early on Friday evening.
More than a hundred acts are on the festival program until Sunday, including big names in the entertainment industry such as Francine Jordi, but also newcomers and a lot of “homemade” from Bern. From hip-hop to down-to-earth, everything is on offer. There will also be surprise guests.
Francine Jordi, market stalls – and political parties
In the alleys, food and drink stalls line up with market stalls with the usual Chilbi kitsch, political parties court the favor of the public, while next door churros are being baked, almonds are roasted and sausages are grilled.
As the evening progressed, the streets and squares began to fill up. After thunderstorms and rain showers in the afternoon, the weather was fairly kind to the city festival early on Friday evening. Not a balmy summer evening, but dry at least.
City festivals do not have a strong tradition in Bern. The last ones took place at irregular intervals in 1991 and 2016. After the pandemic, people again felt the need to be together and experience something together, Mayor Alec von Graffenried was convinced in the program of the city festival. Joint memories are important because they strengthen identity and cohesion.
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