Info
50 Years of Gurtenfestival
Here you’ll find all the information about 50 Years of Gurtenfestival.
In 2027, Gurtenfestival will take place from 14–18 July. To celebrate the festival’s anniversary, the Gurtenfestival Sunday is making a return, meaning that, exceptionally, the festival will span five days.
The Early Bird ticket sale for the anniversary edition will begin this autumn. You can already register now to make sure you don’t miss your chance to get one of the discounted Early Bird tickets. We’ll notify you in advance with the exact on-sale date.
The first festival on Gurten took place in 1977, making next summer exactly 50 years since its inception. Back then, it was called the “Internationales Folk-Festival Bern-Gurten”. Over the years, it evolved into Gurtenfestival, now one of Switzerland’s most renowned music festivals. Since the event only became an annual festival in the 1990s, the 44th edition in 2027 marks 50 years of Gurtenfestival.
We’re working hard on the line-up. While we can’t reveal any names just yet, one thing is certain: more than 100 acts will perform, from beloved Gurten favourites to exciting new discoveries.
Cashless
- The remaining balance will be transferred back to the last payment account used within 7 days after the end of the festival. In the case of credit or PostFinance cards, the refund can only appear on the monthly statement.
- By the end of July at the latest, every chargeback should be visible.
- It is not possible to transfer it to other people’s cards. The remaining credit will be automatically refunded to you after the festival.
- In case of problems: cashless@gurtenfestival.ch.
Sustainability
A music and cultural event that consumes fewer resources than a single person does on a typical day—is that possible? For the 2025 Gurtenfestival, a comprehensive carbon footprint analysis was conducted for the first time across the entire value chain. It shows that our visitors’ carbon footprint is less than half that of a typical day. Centralized supply, public transportation, and optimized processes all contribute to this. At the same time, it’s clear that there’s still room for improvement. The greatest opportunities for reduction lie in catering and guest mobility, while further potential for improvement exists, for example, in supply logistics.
With our annual analysis of environmental, social, and economic sustainability, we lay the groundwork to further reduce our impact wherever technically possible and, where necessary, to offset it.
To this end, the Gurtenfestival has been implementing the measures listed below for many years and is continuously refining its solutions.
- Waste per guest amounts to only 1 kg – including setup and takedown.
For comparison: the Swiss daily average is 1.9 kg. - Waste separation stations are available throughout the site, including in the valley and along the path to the Gurten.
- 54% of the waste is recycled; the rest is used for energy recovery at the Bern waste-to-energy plant (with an efficiency of over 80%).
- Reusable cups have been standard since 2004 – making us one of the first festivals in Europe to adopt them.
- In the Comfort Zone, drinks are served in glass (bottles, glasses).
- All dishware (cups, plates, cutlery, PET, aluminum) is subject to a deposit.
- Plates/bowls are made from sugarcane, cutlery from starch (cPLA).
- Returned dishware is thermally recycled at the Forsthaus energy center – generating electricity and heat for the city of Bern.
- Free product sampling on and around the festival grounds is prohibited. Exceptions are only made if the sampling offers a direct benefit (e.g. cooling towels).
- At least 50% of all meals are vegetarian.
- Only regional, seasonal ingredients and Swiss meat are used.
- Fish must come from local waters only; seafood is not allowed.
- All vendors use the official reusable dishware system.
- Alcohol-free beer and drinks are available at all bars.
- Electricity and water requirements are ordered through us, managed by us, and optimized where possible.
- Only local food stands from the Bern region are present on the Gurten.
- The largest stand (operating at two locations) offers fully vegan cuisine – in collaboration with Outlawz Food as a pilot project for economically viable vegan festival catering.
- 65% of guests arrive by public transport, 30% on foot or by bike. Only 5% still use a car or motorcycle.
- Free bicycle parking is available directly at the Gurten funicular station.
- Travel within the Libero zones 100/101 is free with a valid ticket and wristband.
- Trams, Moonliner night buses, and shuttles operate 24/7 in the city and greater Bern area.
- SBB and BLS significantly expand their regular train services during peak times.
- Diversity in focus: aiming for the fairest possible gender balance among booked artists on stage.
- The Waldbühne (Forest Stage) is reserved for Swiss artists – to support national and regional talent.
- A new podcast stage expands the festival’s cultural offerings beyond music.
- 90% of all purchased goods (food, drinks, etc.) come from Switzerland – mostly from the Bern region.
- Procurement is based on ecological and social criteria.
- Transport to and from the site is strictly limited and optimized – also due to the geographic layout of the venue.
- Helpers and suppliers without cargo use public transport exclusively.
- Furniture, machinery, and vehicles are mostly rented and reused rather than purchased.
- Our merchandise apparel and crew shirts are made from GOTS-certified organic cotton.
- Pilot project starting in 2025: all generators will run on HVO (renewable plant-based oil).
- Water-saving appliances and equipment are used throughout the entire festival site.
- 100% of electricity comes from renewable energy sources.
- An in-house smart grid combines generators and grid power to ensure optimal load distribution and reduce the number of generators needed.
- Consumers such as site lighting are centrally controlled and switched on/off based on demand.
- Around CHF 30 million in direct and indirect economic value for the Bern region – for example through jobs, infrastructure, mobility, and hospitality.
To move closer to our sustainability goal, we collect and analyze the relevant data annually. This helps us identify areas where we can conserve resources, improve processes, and reduce emissions. If the results deviate by +/- 10 percent from the previous year or if major changes are on the horizon, we work with an external expert to prepare a detailed carbon footprint assessment—at least once every three years. This shows us where we can implement further measures. Within this framework, we take a detailed look at numerous other areas, such as:
- material and energy use during setup and teardown
- waste composition and recycling rates
- logistics on and around the festival grounds (transport routes, vehicle fleets, delivery frequencies, alternative powertrains, etc.)
- Carbon footprint of third-party caterers
- Evaluation of all sponsorship activities
- Artists’ travel to the festival
- Social standards for the crew
- Further development of prevention and safety measures