Show times
Detailed information about show times and venues of the acts can only be found in the printed program booklet. It will be available from July on.
From 6pm – midnight, 40 groups will put the Lower Old Town of Berne in a spectacular summer mood.
Artists will play over 300 shows during three evenings. All artists will play on hat money instead of for a fixed fee. Thank you for your contribution!With the sale of the booklet & bracelet – your “entrance fee” – we finance a large part of the festival. In Bern, this has been working for 20 years thanks to your support!
Detailed information about show times and venues of the acts can only be found in the printed program booklet. It will be available from July on.
Traumwandlerische Angst (CH, Luzern)
Pavor, the embodiment of fear, only shows up late at night: The oversized, headless monster possesses a strange, elusive range of motion. It seems as if the advancing hands conduct the rest of the body. Impressive!
Indie Deutsch Pop (DE)
With a healthy Viennese f*ck it-attitude full of rough edges, the exceptional singer songwriter performs Solo. The Dresden native, who lives in Vienna, sings about searching and finding, building up and destroying – openly, self-critically and unsparingly.
Flamenco Music & Dance (ESP, Granada/Madrid)
Founded in the legendary neighbourhoods of Sacromonte and Albaicín in Granada, where the flamenco tradition is deeply rooted, the young, hot-blooded collective fuses music and dance into authentic, all-round Andalusian fireworks – olé!
Musique Klezmer & Chansons Yiddish (FR)
The love of klezmer music and Yiddish language unites these young female musicians. They are committed to telling touching stories full of pain, anger and longing. Powerful, self-confident and emotionally charged, the collective invents a new tomorrow – infectious!
Installation (NL)
From the festival’s hustle and bustle directly into the silence of an underwater world, a brain or a small town at night? Quite possible! Stretch your head into a Dromoscope and dive into a world of carefully arranged moving objects, sounds and smells.
Saurus (NL)
Saurians are extinct, aren’t they? Not quite! The imposing beasts roam around Buskers Bern in search of food. Only thanks to their leader, who has them mercilessly under control, Bern’s alleys do not sink into total chaos. Watch out!
Rabeca Brasileira (BRA, Pernambuco)
The Rabeca master sings about the joys of life and metaphors of being with the unique Brazilian fiddle. Skilfully, seductively and lustfully, the quartet meanders through the northeastern Música Popular: Frevo, Forró, Maracatu, Samba, Cavalo Marinho – Saudade!
Physical Puppet Theatre (FR)
Dance and puppet theater surprisingly combined – solo, duo and trio at the same time. A jealous puppet, a complex relationship and the questions: Who is in control, and who is dependent on whom? Multilayered, humorous and impressive!
Gypsy Jazz Swing (CH)
Travel with the talented newcomers through the coloratura of jazz to Paris in the 1920s – and back to the here and now. Dizzyingly fast-paced, virtuosic and mischievous, this refreshing quartet serves up swing manouche, valse musette and bossa nova.
Sénégal Sabar Rythmes & Danses (SEN)
These artists are griots – singers, poets, storytellers and instrumentalists by birth and profession – and delight us with the richness of traditional West African dances, mandingo songs and Sabar rhythms. Dancing and singing along highly recommended!
XXL-Stehaufmännchen (FR)
Mr. Culbuto, a 320kg man, is dropped off at various locations by the Delivery Boy. There he waits for a playmate. He leans down, shakes hands, flirts and straightens up again as if by magic. Amusant et impressionnant!
Bluesy Reggae Rock (UK, Cornwall)
Punchy reggae, uplifting rock, deep reverberating didgeridoo, acoustic folk, thunderous drum solos and inspirational lyrics. The two brothers have so much to offer – and much more live on stage! Dangerously electrifying energy with addictive potential!
World Polyphony A Cappella (BUL)
The soloists of the world-famous Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares are known for their virtuoso singing style, based on excellent technique. In search of purity and originality, they interpret traditional songs in a modern way as well – goose bumps guaranteed!
Frevo Brazilian Global Pop (BRA, Pernambuco)
Flaira, the charming multi-talent and charismatic bundle of energy, takes you on a trip through the pulsating music and dance culture of north-east Brazil. Frevo, Capoeira, Forró, Maracatu, Côco, Caboclinho paired with Rock and Pop – yes, it works, and how!
Interactive Sound Installation (BEL)
Sounds escape from an unusual arrangement of bicycles. Through various mechanisms you compress air, generate electricity and circulate water. You capture the sounds produced with a stethoscope. A mechanical-acoustic self-made experience!
Street Performance (Northern Ireland)
A show full of interactivity, acute absurdity and mesmerizing manipulation. Juggling takes centre stage: Grant dances in the face gravity. Funny, precise, engaging and charmingly virtuosic!
Tzigane Méditerranée Italiano (IT)
Five vintage virtuosos from Naples, adopted by Paris: Listening to them, is like immersing yourself in a Fellini movie with all its cinematic wonders – excessive, earthy and generous. Italian elegance paired with French charm. Heart, pain, dynamite!
Psychedelic Desert Funk (PS / SYR / IT / DE)
The Berlin-based band creates diasporic sounds. Named after Jamila’s Palestinian grandmother, they fight racism with vibrant guitar riffs, Arabic percussion, Jamila’s powerful vocals and empowering lyrics. Discover the hero in you and make the world a better place!
Acrobatic Circus Show (FIN)
What to do when the book is more exciting than the other person? Handstands on Pasi’s head don’t help either, so Kate throws him off his chair without further ado. An energetic Pas de Deux with hand-on-hand acrobatics and foot juggling. Entertaining and impressive.
Latin Urban Rap (DOM / ARG / FR / CH)
Unique line-up, committed lyrics, distinctive aesthetics and above all – POWER! La Nefera raps her way from cumbia, reggaeton, baile funk to hip hop, trap, jazz and afrobeat with a captivating stage presence and powerful voice. A bailar y festejar – vamos!
Irreverent Scottish Folk (SCO)
Celtic Folk, trad. Scottish, Eastern European Gypsy, Prog Jazz, Old-Time American? Oh yeah. But no. Simply unique, orchestral, highly virtuosic, monumental, superbly harmonised, breathtakingly emotional and intense with punk spirit – terrific!
New Swiss Folk @ "Wäbere-Chäuer" (CH)
Wäbere-Chäuer: Vaulted Cellar of Restaurant Zunft zu Webern, Gerechtigkeitsgasse 68 (Venue Nr. 23)
The Langnouerli performs in the limelight and all around something is brewing in the Wäbere-Chäuer: a gourmet menu for the ears, cooked by many chefs who don’t spoil the broth but season the soup exquisitely. Different every evening and all the way through. Play along and/or listen!
Langnauerörgeli (= Diatonic Accordion), born 1836* in Langnau in the Emmental: Various harp makers/Harfner and Langnauerörgeli creators have been building the so-called Langnouerli for almost 200 years. The best-known single-row, 2‑chord Härpfli with 3 basses captivates with its manageability and its special sound.
Participation / Terms & Conditions: With festival bracelet only. All musicians are welcome! Play along after consultating with the fix band, the coordinator is Thomas Aeschbacher. After max. 3 tunes, please allow other musicians a chance as well.
Neue Urklänge (CH)
The inhabitants from the Emmental invented the Swiss Diatonic Accordion. Now their Langnouerli with its Schwyzerörgeli descendants and virtuoso accompanists are rocking the cellar of the Wäbere – maybe with YOU as a spontaneous player on the open stage in between?
(THU / FRI only)
(THU/FRI only)
(THU only)
(THU only)
Analoges Fotolabor (CH, Zürich)
The huge, impressive Gwagwamobil makes a stop at the Kornhausplatz. In its luggage: handmade analog cameras and an integrated photo lab, where photos up to 1.3 meters in size can be developed. Let yourself be portrayed!
Pedalisiertes Schildkrötenrennen (BEL)
The turtles invite you to the race of the giants. Teams of two compete against each other and pedal hard so that the giant turtles start moving. Unagitated and at the same time extremely exciting: Who will win? Cheering is encouraged.
Acrobatics & German Wheel (IT / FR)
Two bodies merge, merge into figures and dissolve again. Smooth movements, perfected choreographies, extended by a large double ring, which sometimes takes two people in itself. Contemporary dynamic acrobatics!
Magische Psychologie (CH, Luzern)
Mr. Chiovelli and Mr. von Luc are psychologists, magicians and cocktailers at the same time. Enter a mini-world of magic elixirs: tell your troubles and be cured by a magic show combined with a drink tailored to you.
Giant Camel (FR)
From the vast desert to the narrow old town: Majestically, the huge camel moves through the alleys. The sheer appearance of Chamôh tells of wanderlust and foreign smells. When it lowers its head from a height of 5 meters, you might even be able to pet it.
Acrobatic Street Comedy (CAN)
Circus and comedy mixed explosively: The Canadians present a fast-paced show with a human pyramid, tons of flips and complicated jump rope figures. And you can always roll the dice: The number of dice decides the next act.
Live Acoustic Jukebox (IRL, Sligo)
There’s room for three people in the mini-pub. Ray will fiddle, play and sing the song you have chosen by rolling the dice – personally for you from the 121 songs listed, such as trad. Irish, Elton John, David Bowie, Steely Dan, Pearl Jam or who knows? Sláinte!
Hip Hop (UK, Wales)
They are back with a big bag of bangers! Influenced by Rage Against the Machine, Dead Prez or The Roots, Regime really heat things up with strong melodies, driving beats and committed political lyrics. Heavy dancing and partying for free thinking people – Yeah!
Afro Experimental Kwaito Pop (RSA / ZIM / CH)
Siselabonga is a collaborative platform that aggregates music from West and South Africa with occidental sounds. Half organically, half synthetically, World Music clichés are skilfully bypassed and the audience is transported into danceable realms with relish.
Gonzo Rock'n'Roll (UK, London / BRA)
Musically and visually, this wild troupe from London seems to have sprung from an early 20th Century travelling show, the charismatic front man from a Terry Gilliam movie. Their show is like sitting on a small boat in the stormy sea. No land in sight, party ahoy!
Musiktheater (CH / PER)
Robi and Rico are the outsiders of the school and attract trouble almost magically. But together they are strong, and reinvent themselves with the help of music and become the coolest guys in class. An empowering story for a young audience.
Crazy Puppets & Live Music (SLO)
Jack-of-all-trades Matija is an exceptional master of puppetry: interactive, funny and accompanied by live music, he tells the story of a writer without ideas with his various puppets, which are driven by animation mechanisms, among other things. Brilliant!
Cosmic Acoustic Groove (USA / DE)
The transatlantic duo convinces with a lot of talent, impressive craftsmanship, their very own groove and fascinating percussive style. They create a magical atmosphere with their exclusively self-composed instrumental and vocal tunes.
Kindertheater (CH, Luzern)
One day Mona catches a beautiful fish and takes it home with her. He becomes her best friend, but the fish becomes more and more homesick for his lake. A story about friendship and letting go told with dance and music.
Sci-Fi Puppet Show (ESP)
Puppetry, acting and projection combined in the most refined way! A retro-futuristic dystopia of a not too distant future, where the smartphone dominates society. Will we one day be able to store our souls on our hard drives? Up-to-date and brilliant!
Please note:
Musical Puppet Cabaret (ESP)
Remember? Jukebox has been here before – at the very first Buskers Bern! Now they are back with their refreshing, highly amusing cabaret show: Living puppets present the greatest hits of all time. Still as ravishing as 20 years ago!
Mini Splatter Puppet Show (FR)
Finally Serge and Zola stop in Bern with their burlesque puppet theatre and present a circus show of the bloody kind: The best of the worst will be on display – blood splatters to the back rows. En piste les artistes, death awaits you!
Garage Punk Blues Trash (CH, Nidwalden)
Terrible: They are wolfwolfin’ again… howl at graves and thirst for blood, go to hell and climb to heaven. My goodness, how beautiful is this! Beautifully creepy. We warned you, now it is too late, now you have to go through it. Time to say hello!
Virtuoso Balkan Mediterranean Jazz (FR / CH)
With enormous joy and imagination in playing, the quartet sails from one Mediterranean port to the next: Marseille, Heraklion, Athens and Istanbul. Salty and lively serenades from Crete, string orgies and tavern devilries – a highly virtuoso travel diary!
THU / FRI only
FRI / SAT only
Poetic Puppet Theatre (ESP / MEX)
Tied to a wheelchair, Brigitte travels in her mind to times long past: She meets her former, great love and herself as a young girl. An incredibly expressive, fascinating performance with dance, theater and puppetry. World class!
Puppet Strip (FR)
Curtain up for Zélie Barrett and her scuffed suitcase. Boudoir or stage? No matter! From it emerges the luscious Madame Rita, who enchants you with erotic striptease. Two ladies you should not miss!