Open-Air Music Festivals in Switzerland: How to Party Without Overpaying the Fiddler

1. Do not be spontaneous

Planning ahead is one of the easiest ways to cut the cost of festivals. Many organizers offer early-bird tickets for limited periods of time, often months in advance of the festival. These often sell for 10 to 20 percent less than standard tickets.

There are still festivals where you can walk up and buy a ticket at the booth on your way in, but these walk-in tickets typically cost more than standard tickets which you buy in advance (10 francs more, for example). Some festivals charge you a huge markup (20 percent, for example) if you show up and buy tickets late in the evening.

2. Make use of discounts

Some open-air festivals have discounted tickets for students, and these can be substantial (up to 25 percent, in some cases). A few festivals will give you a discount if you are retired or receive a disability pension.

Discounts from banks, telecom services, insurance companies, and retailers are also worth looking at. For example, Sunrise offers its telecom plan subscribers discounted music festival tickets. The Stucard debit card which you get from many cantonal banks with your student bank account gives you discounts at a number of music festivals. Raiffeisen offers its customers discounts for many music festivals through its Membersplus program.

As a general rule, if you are the customer or employee of a company which is sponsoring a festival, it is worth checking whether you are eligible for discounted tickets.

3. Double-think ticket insurance

Most Swiss festival organizers do not refund tickets after you buy them. Some Swiss festivals and ticket dealers offer insurance which reimburses the cost of tickets if certain hazards prevent you from making it. Think twice about whether you need this. If you could easily sell your ticket if something comes up, then you probably do not need insurance.

You should also check whether you (or your parents, if you live with them) have annual travel insurance. Some Swiss travel insurance offers include similar coverage to that offered by festivals. You can easily find out which ones do by selecting the “Event ticket compensation” filter in the interactive Swiss travel insurance comparison.

4. Sell unused tickets

If you end up not being able to use your ticket and cannot get a refund, offer it up for sale as soon as possible. Special websites/apps like Fansale (for Ticketcorner tickets only) and Ticketswap are a good first stop. Some festivals (like Paléo) have their own ticket exchanges. Classifieds websites are an option for selling paper tickets.

5. Look for cheap tickets on classifieds websites

Running a quick search on classifieds websites like Anibis and Tutti often pulls up a range of unused tickets being sold by private people. In many cases, people sell secondhand tickets for less than their going price because something came up and they can no longer use them. Make sure that tickets are fully transferable before you buy them.

Important: There are also ticket sharks who try to sell tickets for a profit. Always compare offers with the festival’s going ticket prices.

6. Volunteer or get a job at the festival

Volunteering is one of the easiest ways to enjoy music festivals without paying any money. Sure, you may have to spend some of your time hand-delivering beers, picking up trash, setting up stages, or checking armbands, but you still get the vibe, the socializing, and the music. At bigger open-air music festivals there are often hundreds of volunteer positions available, so your chances are good. Often, volunteers get rewarded with food, drinks, and other perks which save you more money. Some organizers let you apply right on the festival website. Platforms like Swiss Volunteers are also worth checking out.

If your summer is flexible and the idea of mixing work with fun appeals to you, then look out for paid festival jobs on popular job sites and event websites in the spring.

7. Limit your spending capabilities

Keeping your spending in check becomes more difficult the “happier” you become. Having a realistic budget in advance and making a concrete plan to implement it can save you from waking up broke as well as hung over. An easy way to limit spending is to carry just as much cash as you plan on spending that day. This is also true if the festival uses a cashless payment system which you can load using cash.

Having a separate private account which you use only for partying and festivals is generally a good idea. That way you can put just the money you are willing to spend into that account, and leave your other debit or credit cards at home.  If you use mobile payments, simply remove all but your leisure debit card or prepaid card from the app for the duration of your festival visit. Some neobanks let you divide money into sub-accounts or place card limits to keep spending in check.

8. Bring your own food, drinks and power banks

Some open-air festivals have limits for how much food and drink you can take into the area (three liters of drinks, or one 10-liter beer keg, for example), while others do not. Even if there are restrictions, bringing as many of your drinks, snacks, and food with you as possible can easily cut 50-100 francs off your festival budget compared to buying from food stands and festival shops. If you have a power bank, bring it with you to avoid having to use paid phone charging or powerbank rental services.

9. Cut the cost of getting there

Using public transportation makes sense because nobody wants to be the designated driver at a music festival. It is worth noting that the Swiss federal railway SBB/CFF often has Railaway offers for Swiss open-air music festivals which bundle the entry ticket for the festival with public transportation there and back. Discounts vary between offers, but generally cut at least 20 percent off the price you would otherwise pay for the train ticket, and as much as 50 percent with some offers.

A few Swiss music festivals offer relatively affordable shuttle buses which take you directly from major Swiss cities to the venue. If you live far away from the music festival, using these can cost a lot less and be much more convenient than public transportation.

If you are going with a group of friends and are willing to sober up ahead of driving home, then sharing a car can be the most affordable option in many cases. Just make sure to check whether you have to pay for parking and factor the cost into your equation. Some festivals charge high parking fees (60 francs for the full festival, for example) which can add a major extra cost to using a car.

10. Use a big tent

Some music festivals charge for camping separately, and charge per-tent rather than per-person. When this is the case, sharing a tent with friends and splitting the campsite fee works out cheaper than each of you taking your own.

11. Protect your health

In the fun of the moment, it is easy to forget about things like protecting your ears from very loud sounds or taking precautions against accidents. Both short-term problems (like accidents) and long-term issues like tinnitus can end up costing you a lot in the way of medical bills (and possible suffering). Paying at least a little thought to your health can save you money.

12. Reclaim your deposits

Food stands and festival stores typically charge you deposits for bottles to prevent mountains of garbage. The deposit is typically one franc per bottle. If, for example, you consume 20 bottles over the course of the festival, then returning these instead of throwing them out can save you 20 francs. Depending on the deposit setup, you may even be able to earn money by collecting and returning other peoples’ discarded bottles, cups, or other deposit-bearing items.

Some events also have a deposit (20 francs, for example) for your tent – just to encourage revelers to pack up and take their tents with them when they leave. While reusing your tent instead of abandoning it obviously makes financial sense, you have to remember to collect your deposit when you leave with your tent. Consider setting a reminder on your watch or phone, just in case the hangover gets the best of your memory.

13. Cover your corners

Nobody (or hardly anybody) goes to a festival with the aim of wreaking havoc. But when you pack thousands of people together and throw in good music and a few drinks, the chances of someone damaging property or accidentally injuring another person become pretty high. Take time to check whether you have personal liability insurance. If you live with your parents, you may be covered by your parents’ policy. If you do not already have it, getting personal liability insurance is highly recommended.

14. Leave valuables at home

Festivals are fun, often a little crazy, and generally great places to lose things. The possibility of theft also cannot be ruled out. Many Swiss open-air music festivals offer safe deposit boxes or safekeeping services – for a fee. You can avoid loss, theft, and paying for safe storage by leaving expensive jewelry, watches, electronics, and other valuables at home. If leaving certain costly items (your phone, for example) is not an option for you, check into whether you have household insurance, and whether or not it includes simple theft away from home coverage.

15. Keep unused camping and drink vouchers

The vouchers for camping, drinks, and other services which you buy at festivals normally keep their validity, and can be used at the next year’s event. So if you hold on to these, it will not be wasted money – assuming you intend to return.

16. Check out smaller festivals

The biggest music festivals are often very commercial and almost always expensive. But Switzerland hosts numerous smaller music festivals as well. These can offer a more authentic concert experience and prices on everything from tickets and camping to food and drinks are often much lower.

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