A very intimate space, reduced to the musical essence, promising new talents and well-known DJs in front of an incomparable setting – the acoustic music festival Zermatt Unplugged has become essential for the European music scene. Zermatt Unplugged was founded in 2007. By now, over 100 concerts during 5 days are taking place on 18 different stages, spread in the whole village as well as on the mountain. A festival held in one of the most famous winter tourism destinations.
Zermatt Unplugged is the only festival of its kind in Europe, and is promoted by some of the major organisers in the Swiss festival scene: Urs Leierer, Anni Frid Princess Reuss, the A from ABBA, and the musician and concept artist Dieter Meier (Yello). Claude Nobs (Montreux Jazz Festival) who passed away in January 2013 and Jon Lord, the trendsetting Hammond organ player and jount founder of Deep Purple,who passed away in 2012, were also members of the Patronage Committee.
Zermatt unplugged is not like other music festivals. It’s more than that. It is an opportunity to visit one of Switzerland’s finest ski resorts, followed by an amazing music and an atmosphere that only a ski resort can offer, and this festival is growing year after year. It’s unique, charming and it’ll make you return once you visit it because, well, it’s simply has this “wow” factor.
About the place
The little, picturesque town of Zermatt is located at the base of the famed, pyramid-shaped Matterhorn and is surrounded by 38 four-thousand-meter peaks. Approximately 1,600 meters above sea level, in the Swiss canton of Valais, is the location of the car-free mountain resort. The Matterhorn village demonstrates both the resort town’s sophistication and the mountain people’s traditional way of life. The community is endowed with a certain charm by the towering mountain backdrop, which is a well-liked vacation spot for both winter sports and summer hiking.
The founders of the festival, Thomas Sterchi and Marco Godat, were inspired to organize Zermatt Unplugged by the Valais alpine village, the mountainous landscape, the variety of cuisine, and the special spirit of Zermatt.