Last updated: 22 Sep 2026
After a long and grueling summer of endless heatwaves, I for one am looking forward to the cooler temperatures that autumn brings.
If you think the event calendar dries up after August, think again. While it’s technically the start of autumn, I like to think of September as the “cow and harvest season.”
The famous Désalpes—traditional festivals where local mountain cows return to the valleys rocking the most festive, elaborate floral headgear—and wine harvest celebrations are in full swing this month. This is the only time of the year you can see these beautifully decked out animals parading through town, so you’ll definitely want to plan your weekends accordingly.
But it’s not all cowbells and vineyards. September is also packing a massive lineup of music, arts, and cultural festivals across the region. Let’s also not forget Jêune genevois, Geneva’s public holiday that falls on 10 September. So grab your calendar—here is our round up of the best events in Geneva and beyond.
🎵 Music Festivals & Concerts
- 2–6 Sep | Freddie Days (Montreux, VD) A special and completely free music festival that celebrates Freddie Mercury with tons of live music and other entertainment.
- 4–5 Sep | Jazz au Peuple (Nyon, VD) A two-day “pay-what-you-can” music festival that showcases local Swiss jazz performances.
- 9–18 Sep | Septembre Musical (Montreux-Vevey, VD) Switzerland’s oldest and most prestigious classical music festival, celebrating its 80th-anniversary edition with a star-studded lineup and marking its grand return to the newly renovated, legendary Auditorium Stravinski.
- 12 Sep | Festival Pharaonic (Cluses, France) Electronic music festival just over the border, featuring world-class DJs and the largest open-air dance floor in the Alps.
- 18–20 Sep | Label Suisse Festival (Lausanne, VD) A free music festival that takes over Lausanne once every two years, showcasing musical acts ranging from hip-hop to traditional yodeling.
- 24–27 Sep | Rolle Jazz Fest (Rolle, VD) Four-day jazz festival featuring world-class international jazz musicians and rising local talents.
- 25 Sep | Synthony (Arena Geneva) The world-famous concert that fuses live orchestra music, vocalists, and DJs, along with epic light and laser shows is coming to Geneva!
🎬 Film, Visual Arts & Culture
- 2–6 Sep | Geneva Watch Days (Geneva) The more accessible version of Watches and Wonders—a free “watch crawl”, where brands showcase their newest timepieces in a public pavilion and hotels, wrapping up with public parties at night.
- 3–11 Sep | Le Festival Île de La Harpe (Rolle, VD) A cross-disciplinary arts festival that is a mix of contemporary art exhibitions, outdoor theater, live jazz, and immersive sensory experiences.
- 4–6 Sep | Le Livre sur les quais (Morges, VD) A massive book festival taking place along the lake, where over 160 international authors gather for book signings, open-air debates, readings, and more. A can’t miss event for French AND English book-lovers.
- 5 Sep | Grand Opening of SASA (Geneva Old Town) The Sasa will celebrate its grand opening with a day of festivities – workshops, art exhibitions, performances, and more.
- 12–13 Sep | Journées de Patrimoine Suisse (Switzerland) An annual event across Switzerland where hundreds of historic sites, architectural landmarks, and cultural monuments open their doors to the public for free guided tours and special events. You can check out all the events in Geneva here.
- 17–19 Sep | Festival Friction (Annemasse, France) A cross-disciplinary art festival that blends everything from live music, acrobatic circus acts to street theater.
- 19–20 Sep | Geneva Art Week (Geneva) Local galleries and museums in Geneva will open their doors and host free exhibitions, late-night openings, and cool studio visits.
- 24 Sep – 3 Oct | Caramelo Y Limón Hispanic Film Festival (Geneva) Free-admission festival celebrating Hispanic cinema and culture, featuring screenings of Spanish-language films, Q&As, art exhibitions, and special events across local venues like Les Scala, the MEG, and Grütli.
- 24 Sep – 4 Oct | The Zurich Film Festival (Zurich) One of Switzerland’s most glamorous film celebrations, bringing Hollywood stars, red-carpet galas, and world-class cinematic premieres straight to Zurich.
- 26 Sep | La Nuit des musées (Lausanne, VD) Museums from across Lausanne and Pully open their doors until midnight for this year’s special 25th-anniversary.
- Until 6 Sep | Théâtre de l’Orangerie (Parc La Grange) This summer-only greenhouse theater hosts an eclectic, rotating program of contemporary plays, live concerts, and more exciting performances!
- Until 13 Sep | La Bâtie – Festival de Genève (Geneva) A multidisciplinary contemporary arts festival that takes place in different venues across Geneva. Expect contemporary dance, theater, live music, performance from local and international artists.
- Until 13 Sep | Cirque Knie (Plaine de Plainpalais) Cirque Knie is Switzerland’s largest and most famous circus, so you can expect a grand spectacle filled with exciting acrobatics, performances and large-scale productions.
⚽ Sports, Food & Lifestyle
- 6 Sep | Fête du Salève (Salève, France) A nature festival that invites you to hike up the Saleve from various villages and be rewarded with a massive summit party at the top, complete with local food trucks, farmers’ markets, live music, and more.
- 6–13 Sep | Montreux Nestlé Open (Montreux, VD) Switzerland’s largest professional women’s tennis tournament!
- 12–13 Sep | Festirouge (Plan-les-Ouates, GE) A fun, pay-what-you-can festival that celebrates tomatoes and chilis! Expect live music, artisan food stalls, and a legendary chili-eating contest.
- 18–20 Sep | Miam Festival (Cluses, France) A three-day street food celebration featuring one of the biggest food-truck gatherings around. Enjoy a delicious range of over 35 distinct cuisines, from local French specialties to Lebanese and Vietnamese dishes.
- 19–20 Sep | Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix (Geneva) The F1 of the sailing world is coming back to Geneva for a second year!
- 19 Sep – 25 Oct | The Jucker Farm Pumpkin Festival (Aathal-Seegräben, ZH) The biggest pumpkin festival in Switzerland, where you can see huge, elaborate pumpkin sculptures. Plus they’ve got pumpkin carving, delicious seasonal farm food, and tons of cozy fall vibes.
- 26–27 Sep | Triathlon Annecy (Annecy, France) Watch and cheer on the thousands of athletes who dive into Lake Annecy or just enjoy the festive lakeside village vibes.
- 26 Sep – 4 Oct | 53rd International Alpine Hot Air Ballon Week (Flims, GR) Watch colorful hot-air balloons against the backdrop of alpine peaks!
- 29 Sep – 3 Oct | Chocoweek (Geneva) The first edition of Chocoweek, which is a week-long celebration of chocolates through workshops, tastings, and other fun experiences.
🍂 Désalpes, Traditional Fairs, & Harvest Festivals
🐄 Check out our complete guide for all the désalpes and notable alpine festivals to check out.
- 3 Sep | Foire de Crête (Thonon, France) Massive festival that takes over Thonon, which is a mix of massive open-air markets, carnival funfair, competitive cow pageants, and tons of food.
- 5–6 Sep | Schäferwochenende (Belalp, VS) A legendary alpine shepherd festival where over 1,000 fluffy Valais Blacknose sheep are driven down past the Aletsch Glacier for a weekend of traditional yodeling, stone-pen sorting, and lively mountain celebrations.
- 6–7 Sep | Foire Agricole de Chaindon (Reconvilier, BE) Europe’s largest historic agricultural and livestock market, transforming Reconvilier into a massive, legendary festival packing 500+ market stalls and carnival rides.
- 19–20 Sep | Fête des Vendanges (Russin, GE) Geneva’s harvest festival attracts over 40,000 visitors and will feature local wines, traditional food, live music, and more.
- 25–27 Sep | Fête des Vendanges de Lutry (Lutry, VD) Legendary three-day harvest festival in the beautiful Lavaux wine region.
- 25–27 Sep | Vogue de Veyrier (Veyrier, GE) Veyrier’s street fair that features a huge arts and crafts market, carnival funfair rides, live music, vide-grenier, and tons of food options.
- 26 Sep | Désalpe de St-Cergue (St-Cergue, VD) This désalpe is a Geneva favorite, thanks to its close proximity and easy accessibility from the city. It’s a classic, charming event in the Jura mountains that’s perfect for a quick day trip.
- 26 Sep | Foire de Larringes (Larringes, France) Centuries-old autumn festival, which features lively brass bands, massive livestock parades, and a bustling market of over 90 stalls overflowing with local cheeses, artisan crafts, and more.
- 26 Sep | Fête du Vacherin Mont-d’Or (Les Charbonnières, VD) Traditional flower-crowned cow parade, alphorns, AND Vacherin cheese.
- 26 Sep | Night of the Scarecrows (Morges, VD) A fun, biennial grape harvest celebration, where decorated floats march through the vineyards, with live music, fireworks, and ending with the burning of a giant scarecrow!
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