With March just around the corner, we know that winter is soon coming to an end. While skiing, sledging, and other winter activities will still be available in the high altitudes, spring vibes are growing each day with the longer daytime hours and warmer temperatures. I, for one, will be very excited to bid adieu to seasonal depression as the gloomy clouds begin to lift from over the city.

There are many fun and exciting art and cultural festivals in March, as well as a few late carnival celebrations near Geneva, in case you missed the main festivals in February. Which ones are you most excited for?

• 26 Feb – 1 Mar | Les Hivernales (Nyon) High energy music festival that takes over Nyon’s bars and clubs, featuring different genres of music electro, rap, and alternative rock
• 27 Feb – 1 Mar | Annecy Venetian Carnival (Annecy) Beautiful, silent spectacle where hundreds are dressed in exquisite, hand-crafted Venetian costumes in the backdrop of the beautiful Annecy. 
• 28 Feb – 1 Mar| International Sled Dog Race (Les Mosses) 70 teams across Europe come to compete in one of the oldest races in Switzerland.

• 28 Feb – 8 Mar | Engadin Ski Marathon (Grisons) The largest mass sports event in Switzerland and the second largest cross-country skiing event in the world
• 1 Mar | Chalandamarz celebrations (Graubünden) A cherished Romansh tradition where children parade through dozens of villages across Graubünden ringing heavy cowbells and cracking whips to drive away winter and welcome the spring.
• 4 – 15 Mar | Groove’N’Move Festival A twelve day urban dance festival featuring amazing contemporary dance performances and workshops.

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• 5 – 8 Mar | autoXpérience Genève 2026 All things cars! For those looking to buy a car, don’t miss this event, where you can test drive, compare, and buy a car on site. 
• 6 – 8 Mar | Brandons de Moudon (Vaud) One of the wildest and most historic carnivals in French-speaking Switzerland, featuring torchlight processions, satirical journals, and a massive Sunday parade with floats and Guggenmusik bands.
• 6 – 9 Mar | Fastnacht Murten (Fribourg) Three-day nonstop carnival celebrations in the medieval old town of Murten.
• 6 – 15 Mar | Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH) This annual film festival is dedicated to human rights around the world and coincides with the main session of the UN Human Rights Council. The festival features a wide range of dramas, animations, documentaries that explore the subject of human rights through the cinematic lens.

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• 7 Mar – 12 Apr | Festival du Film Vert Green Film Festival Over 90 films featuring themes of nature, ecology, environmental sustainability will be screened in Geneva and across French-speaking Switzerland.
• 14 – 21 Mar | Festival Voix De Fête #28 A week-long festival with over 44 concerts in 12 venues that showcases a diverse variety of French music.  

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• 15 – 21 Mar | Rock the Pistes (Portes du Soleil, France) A huge musical festival right on the pistes of Portes du Soleil!
• 18 – 22 Mar | Salon du livre A can’t-miss for French book lovers! The Geneva book fair celebrates its 40th edition, bringing together authors, booksellers, publishers and book lovers at  Palexpo. The event is free upon registration online.

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• 18 – 22 Mar | AMR Jazz Festival A five day celebration of jazz, featuring local Swiss and international artists for a packed program at the AMR jazz club.
• 21 Mar | Sonnwendfeier Oensingen (Solothurn) A massive, once-every-three-years spectacle featuring Switzerland’s largest firework display
• 25 – 29 Mar | The unlimited festival (Chamonix, France) An electronic music festival in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc that features DJ sets at iconic sites like Aiguille du Midi and parties in town.
• 26 – 29 Mar | Classiquicime (Megève, France) A classical music festival held in the luxury alpine setting of Megève, featuring world-class soloists and orchestras. 
• 27 – 29 Mar | BiblioWeekend A festival where libraries and museums across Switzerland open their doors to host fun, free events – from storytelling, interactive role-playing games, movie screenings and more! Check out the full program in Geneva here.
• 27 – 29 Mar | Second-hand English Book Sale The Library in English will be hosting it’s spring book sale, where you can find an amazing selection of English books.
• 27 Mar – 11 May | Morges Tulip Festival(Vaud) The stunning Morges Tulip Festival will be back on the 27th of March until early May. The theme this year is ‘Tales & Legends’ and will feature more than 140,000 tulips of nearly 350 varieties.

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• 28 – 29 Mar | Salon du Vintage (Annecy, France) A popular cultural fair where you can shop iconic 20th-century furniture, luxury second-hand fashion, while soaking in a retro-cool atmosphere.