May 2026 Events: What to Do in Geneva & Beyond

Last Updated: 26 May 2026

May is the best month of the year, and I will die on this hill. The weather is perfect, the days are long, hiking season begins, and everyone is out in full force with a smile on their face.

There are so many events this month to look forward to, both in Geneva and across Switzerland. The big one is Caves Ouvertes, the open wine cellar days that are celebrated across the wine-producing regions in Switzerland–you can check out our full guide here. A few big sporting events, like the Geneva marathon and the Gonet Geneva Open, as well as the World Health Assembly, are happening, so the city will feel busier than usual.

Most importantly, we have not one, but two public holidays in May to look forward to: Ascension Day on the 14th (Thursday), and Whit Monday on the 25th (Monday, duh). Plan your month wisely and enjoy the sun!

1–3 May | Swiss Street Food Awards – Best of Romandie (Nyon, VD) Taste your way through the region’s top food trucks at the Swiss Street Food Awards in Nyon, where you can vote for your favorite vendors to send them to the grand finals.

1–3 May | Fête de la Tête de Moine (Bellelay, BE) A gourmet festival celebrating the famous Tête de Moine cheese (the one that is shaved into thin rosettes), featuring cheese tasting, local markets, concerts, and more. Free entry, ticketing for specific events only.

1–3 May | Offene Weinkeller 2026 (Open Wine Cellar Days in German-speaking Switzerland) – Wineries across German-speaking Switzerland will open their doors for public wine tastings.
2 May | Epesses Nouveau en fête (Epesses, VD)A lively wine festival in the wine-growing village of Epesses, including traditional bottling demonstrations, guided tours, live music and more. A small pregame to the main Caves Ouvertes later in the month.
2–3 May | Marché de Createurs (Geneva) Small market where you can find original jewelry, ceramics, and handmade decor directly from local artists!
2–3 May | Garden Festival (Coppet) Find exceptional plants and other local crafts at Château de Coppet.

2–9 May | Explore Demain (Geneva) An interactive festival that explores sustainability, community, democracy, and our shared future. There will be many interactive exhibitions, debates, concerts, workshops, guided tours and more.
3 May | Mürket de Printemps (Geneva) – Small creator’s market where local artists and shops set up shop to sell their creations!

3 May | Gruyères Cheese Festival (Gruyères, FR) A festival dedicated to the world-famous Gruyère cheese, with a local market, and even traditional Alpine horn performances.
3 May | Glarner Landsgemeinde (Glarus, GL) The annual, open-air assembly where citizens gather at the public square to debate and vote by a show of hands. It’s one of the purest forms of direct democracy and a rare tradition – only one of two places in Switzerland (and the world) that still practices this.

6–10 May | Fête de la Danse (Geneva) Geneva will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Fête de la Danse in May. Dance performances and workshops will take place all over the city, ranging from hip-hop to tango.

7–10 May | GemGeneva (Palexpo, Geneva) This elite international tradeshow pairs a world-class exhibition of rare gemstones with a curated program of masterclasses and talks for jewelry professionals and gem enthusiasts alike.
7–17 May | EXISTER / RÉSISTER: Queer Lives – Resist Erasure! (Geneva) Campaign dedicated to celebrating LGBTIQ+ identities and combating discrimination through art, dialogue, and community action. There will be engaging program of exhibitions, performances, and public discussions that highlight the power of queer visibility and resilience.
7–17 May | Mapping Festival Geneva (Geneva) A festival dedicated to digital arts, audiovisual technologies and explores the intersection of art and emerging technology. Expect live performances, installations, workshops, and DJ sets throughout the city.

8–9 May | Geneva Blues Festival (Alhambra) If you’re a blues fan, you won’t want to miss this blues festival featuring a lineup of local and international blues artists.
8–9 May | Bourgeons en fête (Veyrier) Third-edition spring festival in Veyrier that features a plants and flowers market, clothing swaps, workshops, and more.

👚 On the hunt for second hand markets? Check out our full event listing here

8–9 May | Caves Ouvertes Neuchâteloises (Neuchâtel, NE) – Wineries across Neuchâtel will open their doors for public wine tastings.
8–10 May | World Red Cross & Red Crescent Day Celebrations To mark World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day on the 8th of May, the Museum will be hosting a series of events and activities throughout the weekend, including guided tours, panels, and even free admissions day on the 9th.

9 May | Fête du Feuillu (Perly-Certoux & Avusy) A traditional festival celebrating the return of spring. You can expect a colorful parade led by the “Feuillu, maypole dances, the crowning of the May Queen, and other unique folk traditions! This festival takes place across several Geneva communes.
9 May | Fête de l’Espace de quartier Soubeyran (Servette) A neighborhood celebration with local music, creative workshops, food stalls, and other fun activities.
9 May | Bern Grand Prix (Bern) Not actually a F1 race but a run on foot. The Bern Grand Prix is known as the most beautiful 10 miles (16.6km) in the world, and something everyone should complete once in their life. Some spots are still open in some categories but the vibes in Bern that Saturday will be electric.
9–10 May | Geneva Marathon 2026 (Geneva) The Geneva marathon will take place over the weekend of 9-10 May. It’s fun to watch and cheer on the runners as a spectator if you’re in the city. Traffic disruptions will occur; many roads will be temporarily closed in the city, so plan your journey accordingly.
9–10 May | Festivités du 175e : Onex, cité du mouvement (Onex) A high-energy sports festival featuring a massive playground with athletic demonstrations, workshops, and family-friendly activities that encourages everyone to get moving.
9–10 May | Le Race d’Hérens Finale (Sion, VS) A unique Alpine tradition where powerful Hérens cows compete for the title of “Queen” in the legendary finals.
9–10 May | Marché de Plantons (Carouge) Local spring market where you can buy organic seedlings and gardening supplies, and enjoy food and drinks in a festive environment.
10 May | Fête du Feuillu (Confignon)
13–17 May | Nuits Sonores (Lyon, France) One of the biggest electronic festivals in Europe with a stacked lineup. A can’t miss for electronic musical lovers!

14 May | The Geneva Botanic Garden Small Plant Market (Geneva) The small plant market is perfect for those looking to buy new plants for their garden or balcony. Local producers will bring fruit and vegetable seedlings, herbs, perennials, trees, and so much more, and offer gardening tips.
- 🪴Want to buy MORE plants and flowers? Check out where to buy plants and flowers in Geneva
14 May | Locarno Strawberry Festival (Locarno, TI) A beloved tradition that celebrates the region’s strawberry harvest with tastings and other festivities at the Piazza Grande.
14–16 May | Valais Caves Ouvertes (Valais) Wineries across Valais will open their doors for public wine tastings. Valais is the largest wine-production region in Switzerland, and this is the biggest wine tasting event.
Fêtes de Rue 2026 The much anticipated neighborhood street festival that takes place from May until October in the different quartiers around the city. The streets transform into a lively flea market where everyone can come and hang. Check out the full program to see if your neighborhood is hosting a fête de rue.
- 16–17 May (Plainpalais)
- 24–25 May (Voie-Creuse)
- 30–31 May (Saint-Gervais)

14–16 May | Fantasy Basel (Basel) – Fantasy Basel is Switzerland’s biggest ComicCon, drawing 97,000 visitors for 3 days of cosplay, gaming, comics, and more.
16 May | Schwyz Alpine Wrestling Festival (Brunnen, SZ) – A traditional Swiss sporting event featuring Swiss wrestling. It’s also a popular festival with tons of music, food, drinks and merriment.
16–17 & 23–24 May | Cantine Aperte (Ticino) – Wineries across Ticino will open their doors for public wine tastings. Ticino is divided by the Monte Ceneri mountain, and the event is split into 2 accordingly the Sopraceneri (North – Bellinzona) and the Sottoceneri (South – Lugano and Mendrisio).
16–23 May | Gonet Geneva Open (Tennis Club de Genève) – ATP 250 tennis tournament that serves as an important warm-up for the French Open. Watch top players like Stan Wawrinka, Casper Ruud, Alexander Bublik and others on the court.
17 May | Fête de Printemps & Marché Artisanal (Versoix) A fun diverse market with local artisans, live music, and family-friendly entertainment right at the Versoix train station.
18–23 May | World Health Assembly (Geneva) – The annual meeting of the WHO in Geneva where global health leaders gather to discuss international policy. Expect more traffic and security perimeters, especially around Nations and more busy-ness around the city during this time.
20–25 May | Fête de la Nature (Switzerland) – This is a Switzerland-wide festival that celebrates biodiversity, where you can find tons of nature workshops, free guided walks and more. Check out the program for all the events in Geneva.
22–24 May | Wine Night Festival (Carouge) – A night of wine appreciation with live music, tasty food pairings and more.
22–24 May | Mai au parc (Villa Bernasconi, Lancy) – A family-friendly festival featuring concerts, circus acts, and creative workshops.
23–24 May | Caves Ouvertes Vaudoises (Lavaux) – Wineries in the Lavaux region of Vaud will open their doors for public wine tastings.
24 & 31 May | Concert au Jardin Botanique de Geneve – Enjoy a free concert from the Geneva Chamber Orchestra at the Geneva Botanic Garden. Held on both the 24 and 31 of May.

28 May – 25 Jul | The Nuits de Fourvière (Lyon, France) Legendary summer arts festival in Lyon’s ancient Roman amphitheater. The festival runs throughout June and July, and boasts an incredibly diverse lineup – from indie rock, hip-hop to orchestral performances.
29 May | Fête des voisins et voisines (Bernex) Neighbor’s day in Bernex; a great opportunity to meet the community.
29 May – 1 Jun | Fête de l’Oiseau (Saint-Genis-Pouilly, France) A massive, free four-day street festival that draws crowds with its lively carnival atmosphere, a grand floral parade, live music, and a historic archery-style shooting competition to crown the town’s symbolic “King.
29 – 31 May | Bibliotopia (Morges, VD) International world literature festival with author panels, book signings, and more. The theme explored this year of madness and mental health.
30 May | Geneva Caves Ouvertes – The iconic Caves Ouvertes Geneva is one of our favorite events in the city. Over 70 Geneva wineries open their doors for public tastings on the 30th!

30 May | Museum Night (Museum of Ethnography Genève) A special late-night opening at the MEG, program to be followed.
30–31 May | Fête du Tour 2026 (Genève) Quai Gustave-Ador will be transformed into a lively village featuring workshops, obstacles courses, performances, and more all centered around cycling, sustainable transportation, and the spirit of the Tour de France that will take place 2-3 August in Geneva.
30 May–1 Jun | Medieval Spectacle of Hinwil (Hinwil, ZH) A massive historical reenactment featuring jousting, medieval markets, and ancient crafts in Hinwil.
Until – 5 May | Solothurner Biertage (Solothurner) Enjoy beer tasting from over 50 Swiss breweries at the Solothurner Biertage.
Until – 23 May | Marché de Plantons (Parc Beaulieu) The greenhouses in Beaulieu park and Belle-idée will host their traditional plant markets during the spring.

Until 10 May | Morges Tulip Festival (Morges, VD) The stunning Morges Tulip Festival will conclude on 10 May 2026. The theme this year is ‘Tales & Legends’ and will feature more than 140,000 tulips of nearly 350 varieties.
Until 10 May | Lausanne Comic Strip Festival (Lausanne, VD) – Festival featuring world-class exhibitions, live drawing performances, and exclusive events with international illustrators.
Until 30 May | International Jazz Festival (Bern) One of Europe’s longest-running jazz events, which spans over 10 weeks, featuring world-class musicians in the legendary, intimate settings.