The Swiss Federal Yodelling Festival in Basel
17 June 2026
Although yodelling is also practised in other Alpine countries, it is in Switzerland that it reaches the highest musical standard in terms of the number of practitioners, the associations, the quality and the (modern) interpretations.
The Swiss Federal Yodelling Festival in Basel
In December 2025, UNESCO inscribed Swiss yodelling on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Swiss Federal Yodelling Festival (Das Eidgenössische Jodlerfest) takes place from 26 to 28 June in Basel, with over 12,000 participants.
In keeping with the festival motto ‘Stadt und Land mitenand’ (City and Countryside Together), Basel will feature a large yodelling village right in the city centre, as well as a ‘yodelling mile’ and a ‘yodelling mountain’.
The festival site stretches from Petersplatz through the narrow streets of the old town to Marktplatz. In total, there are over 100 festival cafés and stalls, where yodellers, alphorn players and flag-wavers immerse themselves in a world of sound and emotion until the early hours.
For participants from all over Switzerland, there are around 1,200 judged performances in the categories of yodelling, alphorn playing and flag-waving, taking place in churches, concert halls and school buildings in the city centre. Before the jury, the participants aim to perform the pieces with perfect intonation and in a moving manner, whether in groups, individually or in small ensembles, in venues with optimal acoustics. They do so whilst wearing their traditional costumes.
Jahresfest SAC-Sektion Basel, November 2025
The event begins on Friday afternoon at 12.00, with the opening ceremony on Petersplatz at 14.00, performances from 14.00 (Alpine horn); 4.00 pm flag-waving; 6.30 pm yodelling. On Saturday, all activities run from 9.30 am until 8.00 pm. On Sunday, a festive ceremony takes place at 10.00 am on the Marktplatz. A festive parade begins at 2.00 pm. The festival concludes at 6.00 pm
Festive ceremony and parade
The festive ceremony on Sunday morning is part of the tradition of yodelling festivals. A musical programme featuring numerous groups and soloists will be presented on the Marktplatz in Basel. The joint performances are particularly impressive, with songs ringing out simultaneously from hundreds of voices and alphorns.
The Basel element will certainly not be missing from the festive gathering. The festival concludes with a colourful parade. On Sunday afternoon, the parade – featuring 2,500 participants in over 80 groups with traditional themes – winds its way through Basel, from Münsterplatz via Freie Strasse, across Marktplatz and on to Messeplatz.
The festival badge: the Basel ‘Jodlerfest-Blaggedde’
Entry to the festival grounds is free. Visitors can, as a token of support, wear the official festival badge, the so-called Jodlerfest-Blaggedde, just like the participants – it is sold for 10 francs each. An admission ticket is required to attend the judged performances in yodelling, alphorn playing and flag-waving in the ten performance halls.
(Source, further information, Blaggedde and Tickets: www.jodlerfestbasel.ch)