News

30.01.2018
Acts, Waldbühne

Swiss music on the Waldbühne

This year the Waldbühne will get a new home on the festival grounds, but it will continue to be the stage dedicated to artists from Switzerland.

On the first day of the festival we’ll welcome Pat Burgener and James Gruntz to the Waldbühne. With his most recent album, “Waves”, and its multifaceted pop songs, James Gruntz made it into the top 5 of the Swiss charts, while Pat Burgener has been known to many as a snowboarding pro. In the half-pipe, the man from Lausanne was extremely successful. Now he’s making a name for himself in the music business with his indie-pop songs. In addition, there will be a Suprise Act which will be announced during February.

Thurday’s line-up is complete with the exception of the winner of the Waldbühne contest: the musical spectrum ranges from indie-folk by The Cavers from Bern to melancholy singer-songwriter songs by Tobias Carshey from Zurich to hip-hop by the Bernese Chaostruppe. Thursday’s Waldbühne headliner will be Pablo Nouvelle. The musician from Bern with a talent for grand melodies effortlessly bridges the gap between soul, hip-hop, pop, and dance.

On Friday The Gardener & The Tree – one of the four Waldbühne Contest winners in 2014 – will bring indie-folk from Schaffhausen to the Gurten. The Saint City Orchestra from St. Gall can look back to over 100 concerts, creating excitement with their Irish rock songs in Switzerland and beyond. Local heroes Churchhill (hip-hop) won’t have to travel quite that far to get to the Gurten. Another representative of the hip-hop scene is KT Gorique. This MC originates from the Ivory Coast, but now lives in Switzerland. In 2012 she won the freestyle rap world championship and has since become famous for her spectacular live performances.

On the last day of the festival, Crimer will ensure a triumphant finale. When this young artist from the eastern part of Switzerland performed on the Gurten last year, the Bamboo Bar was bursting at its seams. This year he’ll get a bigger stage with more room for his electro-wave songs to unfold. Troubas Kater will present their new Swiss dialect success album, “Aber morn …”, while Stereo Luchs & The Scrucialists from Zurich will bring a healthy helping of Swiss dialect dancehall to the Gurtenfestival. We’re also looking forward to blues and folk by The Two from the Vaud region of Switzerland.

Currently the Waldbühne Contest is underway. More than 100 bands have already applied, and applications will be accepted until 8^th February at www.waldbühne.ch. Public voting will end on 15^th February. Four acts will earn their “Ticket to Rock”, i.e. the first Waldbühne slot on each of the four festival days. The decision will be made at the Waldbühne Live Contest on 9^th March at the Bierhübeli in Bern.