What's on in Zürich and Switzerland
Winter 2012
What else to do in Zürich:
Whether you can't wait for the snow to enjoy the winter sports season, you look forward to all the new art exhibitions, or prefer to celebrate all the special festivals at this time of year, winter is a favourite season in Switzerland. Details of all the concerts, shows and special events are listed below.
See also our report about our members’ favourite ski resorts.
In Zürich:
- Feiertage
- New Year’s Day, 1 January 2012
- Berchtoldstag 2 January 2012.
- Live on Ice at the Landesmuseum Zürich, till 2 January 2012.
You can hire skates there. New this year, skating at the Hotel Sonne in Küsnacht, till March 2012. www.liveonice.ch - Classical Concerts at the Tonhalle
A full season of concerts starting on 1 January 2012.
Highlights include:- New Year's Day Concert. 1 January 2012
- Brandenberg National Orchestra, 17 January 2012
- Zurich Chamber Orchestra under Roger Norrington, 29 January 2012
- Berlin Philharmonic with Simon Rattle, 20 February 2012
- Tonhalle Orchestra/Konzertchor Harmonie Zurich, Brahms German Requiem, 3 March 2012
- Zurich Symphony Orchestra, 25 March 2012.
- Themed boat trips on the Zürichsee throughout the winter season. You can try a New Year's brunch, a fondue ship, comedy cruise, a casino cruise and more.
http://zsg.ch/index.php?traumschiffe-nach-thema - Three Kings Day, 6 January 2012.
Look out for the special baked crowns with the hidden king. Whoever finds the king gets to wear the golden crown for a day - 5 Internationale Fest und Hochzeitsmesse, 7 - 8 January 2012.
Wedding and special celebration fair at the Messezentrum Zürich-Oerlikon.
www.hochzeitsmesse-zuerich.ch - Exhibitions at the Landesmuseum
- A. - L. Breguet: How watchmaking conquered the world, till 8 January 2012
- Beautiful pages: Hebrew Manuscripts from the Braginsky Collection, till 11 March 2012.
- Exhibitions at the Kunsthaus
- Miró, Monet, Matisse – The Nahmad Collection, ‘a truly astonishing tour of some great moments in modern art’, till 15 January 2012
- Albert Welti, Landscape in Pastel, till 4 March 2012
- Winter Tales, 10 February - 29 April 2012
- Posada to Alÿs, Mexican Art from 1900 to the present, 16 March - 20 May 2012.
- Exhibition at the Rietberg Museum
- Mysticism - Yearning for the Absolute, till 15 January 2012
- Heroes – A New Perspective on the Art of Africa, 26 February - 3 June 2012.
- Shows at the Neues Theater Spirgarten
Check out this theatre venue in the Seminar Spirgarten Hotel in Zürich:- Phantom der Oper, 9 January 2012
- Pasion de Buena Vista, 20 January 2012
- Harry's Satchmo All Stars, 27 January 2012
- The Dubliners, 3 February 2012
- Magic of the Dance, 19 February 2012
- The Cavern Beatles, 8 March 2012
- Volker Heissmann & Martin Rassau, 31 March 2012.
- Show at Theater 11
- Mamma Mia! Till 15 January 2012
- In Orchester graben. 19 - 22 January 2012
- Stomp, 24 - 29 January 2012
- Thriller Live, 31 January - 5 February 2012
- Andrew Bond and Band, from 15 February 2012
- Rocky Horror Show, 6 - 18 March 2012
- les Ballets Trockadero, 23 - 24 March 2012
- Musical Rocks, 28 March 2012.
- Concerts at Kaufleuten in an intimate atmosphere - here's a selection:
- Mats Up - jazz, 10 January 2012
- Transit Room - jazz, 17 January 2012
- Jane Birkin, 24 January 2012
- Radar Suzuki - jazz, 24 January 2012
- Claude Diallo Situation - jazz, 31 January 2012
- The Blues Band, 4 February 2012
- Ed Sheeran, 9 March 2012.
- Concerts and shows at Maag Event Hall, Zurich West
See this link: www.maagmusichall.ch - Shows at the Kongresshaus
Here are some of the highlights:- Rock meets Classic, with Ian Gillan and others, 14 January 2012
- Ballet Swan Lake, 20 January 2012
- Mother Africa, 5th anniversary tour, 22 January 2012
- Chris Rea, 19 February 2012
- Night of the Musicals, 16 March 2012
- Roger Cicero & Big Band 2012, 31 March 2012.
- Shows at the Hallenstadion Zürich
Many have their own website too. Here's a selection of events:- Abba, the Show, 20 January 2012, www.topact.ch
- Art on Ice, 2 - 5 February 2012
- Batman Live, 11 - 12 February 2012
- Andre Rieu, the Waltz King, 24 February 2012
- ‘Elvis Presley in Concert’, 5 March 2012
- Udo Jürgens, 16 March 2012
- James Morrison, 21 March 2012
- Bryan Adams, 23 March 2012.
- Opera House Premières in winter 2012
- Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner), 22 January 2012
- Otello Ossia il Moro di Venezia (Verdi), 10 February 2012
- Don Carlo (Verdi), 4 March 2012
- Don Juan/Till Eulenspiegel (Gluck / R. Strauss) Ballet, 24 March 2012
- Ios - Oper 12 (31 March 2012)
- The International Comedy Club - formerly Funny Laundry
at Mascotte, Alte Börse and Kaufleuten Zürich.
Look out for the new program this year. www.internationalcomedyclub.com - Fespo Holiday and Leisure Fair, 26 - 29 January 2012. At the Messezentrum Zürich. www.whatsonwhen.com
- Mercedes-CSI - 'China - hautnah', 27 - 29 January 2012 at the Hallenstadion.
Equestrian gala, one of the world's top equestrian events; this year in ‘China – Up Close’ an estimated 60 Chinese artists will beguile the audience with mysticism and fascination.
www.mercedes-csi.ch - Art on Ice Zurich at the Hallenstadion, 2 - 5 February 2012.
With Mick Hucknell, Emily Bear, Dionne Bromfield and TinkaBelle, and figure skaters Stéphane Lambiel, Sarah Meier and Miki Ando.
www.artonice.com - Valentine's Day 14 February 2011. Send a card to your loved one, or surprise them with red roses! www.7rosas.c
- Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday 21 and 22 February 2012. Tuesday is Pancake Day in the UK; Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of 40 days of the Lenten fasting period, leading up to Easter.
www.feiertagskalender.ch - Salsa Festival Switzerland, Europe’s top salsa event, 24 - 26 February 2012 at the Kongresshaus.
www.salsafestival.com - Zürich Fasnacht Carnival in the heart of the city, 24 - 26 February 2012.
The Protestant cantons celebrate carnival after the beginning of Lent, with bands, costumes and a parade on Sunday in Zürich.
www.zurichcarneval.ch - Opera Ball Opera House Zürich, 10 March 2012.
www.opernhaus.ch/en/events/Zuercher_opernball.php - BNP Paribas Zürich Open Tennis at the Saalsporthalle Zürich, 20- 24 March 2012.
Featuring this year year Marat Safin, Mark Philippoussis, Tim Henman,Henri Leconte and other tennis stars.
www.www.zurichopen.net - Expovina Primavera, 29 March to 4 April 2012. The well-known wine fair has its spring show at Giessereihalle Escherwyss in Puls 5, Zuri-West, back to its original home with its new tram link 11 through Zuri-West. More space to explore all those delicious wines!
www.expovina-primavera.ch
and around the regions:
- Adelboden
FIS Men's Ski World Cup - giant slalom, 7 - 8 Jan 2012.
www.weltcup-adelboden.ch - Appenzell
Alter Silvester - Old Silvester parade, 13 Jan 2012.
The calendar change from the Julian to the Gregorian in the 16th century, when 13 days were lost, is celebrated by a colourful parade of so-called 'Silvesterchlausen' through the streets of Appenzell.
www.feiertagskalender.ch/index.php - Basel
Basel Fasnacht Aldstadt Basel, 27 - 30 February 2012.
This is the biggest and most colourful carnival parade in Switzerland. The Morgestraich begins at 4:00am on the Monday, lights in the town are turned out and there are candle-lit parades with costumed musicians over a 3-day period. Make an overnight stay of it.
www.myswitzerland.com - Geneva
International Motor Show at Palexpo, 8 - 18 March 2012.
www.whatsonwhen.com - Lausanne
Art on Ice 7 - 8 February 2012, with Mick Hucknall, Stéphane Lambiel and co.
www.artonice.com - Luzern
Fasnacht in the Aldstadt, 11 - 24 February 2012.
The Catholic canton celebrates Fasnacht before Lent with masks, costumes and bands
www.luzerner-fasnacht.ch; www.myswitzerland.com - St Moritz
Art on Ice with Erkan Aki, skaters Sarah Meier and Stéphane Lambiel, 17 Feb 2012.
www.artonice.com - Wengen
FIS Men's Alpine Skiing World Cup - downhill ski race, 13 - 15 Jan 2012.
www.whatsonwhen.com
Julia Newton, December 2011