About the event
Buskers Bern is on 12 to 14 August 2027, the 24th edition. It is a street festival rather than a stage festival: the acts play in the lanes and on the squares of Bern's old town, and they are drawn from an application round that opens in November. The programme for 2027 is published later - the dates and the application window come first, and the line-up follows in the spring.
The 24th Buskers Bern runs 12 to 14 August 2027, and it has no main stage: in 2024 the festival counted 144 artists in 41 groups from 25 nations, playing some 300 separate shows in the lanes and squares of the old town. You walk between performances rather than queue for one. The 2027 line-up comes from an application round that opens in November.
The acts are paid in hat money, not fees - that is the festival's model, and it shapes the programme: concerts, street performance, theatre, dance, puppetry, acrobatics and art installations rather than a bill of touring names. The area is free to walk; three locations check the Baendeli wristband, which costs 20 francs and funds the festival.
Key figures
Artists and where they come from
| Programme strand | Booking status for the next edition |
|---|---|
| Main programme | Booking for the 23rd edition closed; the 24th opens in November |
| Lab Stage | Applications closed for 2026 |
| Bizaar action market and kids programme | Applications closed for 2026 |
Stay in Bern
Check-in 11 Aug, check-out 15 Aug 2027 — 4 nights around 12-14 August 2027. Change the dates to stay longer.
AREA
Find stays in BernGetting there
- AirportZürich Airport (ZRH), about 101 km
- Time zoneEurope/Zurich
Who has played before
| Edition | Dates | Groups | Artists | Shows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23rd, 2026 | 6-8 August | 41 | About 142 | More than 300 |
| 22nd, 2025 | August | Not stated | 138 | About 300, at 25 venues |
| 21st, 2024 | August | 41 | 144 | About 300 |
Coming years
2028
buskersbern.ch listed no 25th edition as of 2026-10-19.