As the season begins to wind down in April, there is still so much to look forward to. Each year we have Zermatt unplugged, which this year ran from April 8-12. A 5-day acoustic music festival held in April each year. Unplugged has been running yearly since its debut in 2007 – aside from a couple of missing Covid years.
To prepare for the event, busy workers transform the ice rinks located in central Zermatt into a whole festival arena. An entire village, mini hotel and circus tent appear in the middle of town. As with every other festival, multiple stages are built. There are also loads of food stands, and activities like a free photo booth!
Events and music
The wonderful part of Zermatt Unplugged is that many venues across the whole of the mountains and town also take part. So there are many events outside of the festival area itself. You will find bars on the mountain such as Blue Lounge and Cervo hosting bands early in the day. This means you are able to begin your festivities as early as 12:30. The lineups are also thoughtfully designed to help you make your way down the mountain. So you ski from one spot to the next with time to get to each act.
After a day of skiing, enjoy apres-ski seeing some great bands play. Many acts also play multiple times during the week, so if you miss one, you have another shot at seeing them. Similarly, if you really enjoy watching someone, you’re able to see them again before they leave Switzerland!
Many spots in town also host events, with Manud (a coffee shop) transforming into a venue for music and dancing. Hotels also host music nights such as Hotel Post and Beausite with Jazz and Blues bands performing. Ronnie Scott’s Jazz club is also a popular destination for great music and atmosphere. No festival would be complete without an afterparty, hosted by Club Vernissage, you are able to keep enjoying the festivities until 4am or later.
Atmosphere
The village atmosphere changes, with everyone gathering to enjoy the good music. The Unplugged village itself is uncovered, so you are able to hear the acoustic acts performing during the day. At the same time you are smelling all the great street food offered like burgers, bao buns, pizza and more.
It feels like a different experience to other music festivals, as people are there to really appreciate the music and enjoy the bands performing, whether they know them or not. Depending on the music playing, you’ll find a few people dancing at the front, with many people surrounding them appreciating the music, or sitting in the background enjoying the music as they chatter quietly.
This year, Zermatt was lucky with the weather, with the sun shining for the whole week. It means you can watch the acts in the Village with an incredible view of the sun setting over the Matterhorn in the background. In 2024, though, Zermatt Unplugged fell during the final snowfall of the season. With the acoustic music and cosy village atmosphere, the snow only added to the experience, with spirits high even with grey skies.
Packages
Unlike other music festivals, there is no camping at unplugged as April in the mountains is still just a little too cold. Instead, many hotels offer unplugged packages, including hotel rooms, some meals and the tickets. That way, you are able to book everything simply with just a few clicks and the stress, you also do not need to travel far if you are in a hotel hosting events themselves.
Tickets for Zermatt Unplugged 2026 are already available. If you pre-book accommodation and an Unplugged pass, you get exclusive 48 hour pre-sale access to the headliners. 48 hours gives you a bit more time once the big acts are announced. For next year, the dates to put in your diary are 4-11 April.
As with festivals, the main headliners can often be the main selling point. This year, Zermatt welcomed Mika, Amy Macdonald, Stephan Eicher, UB40, Clueso and many more. These acts are exclusive for ticket holders, offering you a great experience in the main tent for a seated show.
Tickets are also available, however for all the other acts in town. The Unplugged pass is available for around 80chf, giving you access to all other acts, afterparty events, and the Unplugged village. With this, there are around 130 acts at your disposal.
Good to know
If you are not able to find a place to stay in town, the train running from Zermatt to Visp runs later especially during the Unplugged week. Whilst normally the final train is at 10pm, during Unplugged, extra trains are put on to midnight and later, so you can enjoy the events without time pressure.
For the locals, one way to get more involved with Zermatt Unplugged is to volunteer. Each year, Unplugged accepts hundreds of volunteers to help the event run smoothly. Volunteering means you get a staff pass with access to many of the events as well as soon as your shift is over. It means you are also in on the action, able to listen to music all day. Or night, depending on where you are posted.
Otherwise, get a ticket, but be aware that the big names are really popular so you need to be fast!
Zoe Pfaller