There Is A Music Festival Happening On A Swiss Mountain Top This Weekend

The events industry has been one of the hardest hit during the pandemic, however, this month one of the world’s most famous music festivals is making its comeback. The Caprices Festival returns to its mountain top perch in the Swiss Alps this week.

Weekend 1 of Caprices took place last weekend and Weekend 2 is taking place September 24-26th. The Caprices Festival is best known for its glass Modernity Stage located at top of the ski resort of Crans-Montana in the Swiss Alps. Guests access this stage via a bubble lift. The stand-alone greenhouse-like structure sits 2,200 meters above sea level. Not only does this give guests a panoramic view of the snow-capped mountains, but it also offers plenty of space and fresh air, which is certainly a priority for most these days.

To address the elephant in the room, comprehensive COVID-safety protocols have been put in place. According to Joseph Bonvin, President of Caprices Boards of Directors, “This year the Caprices will be all about renewal. We are creating a COVID-free-zone inside the festival. This involves checking all festival participants for the SWISS COVID-check QR code. If festival goers do not have the QR code because they are coming from outside the EU, they can be tested on site using the SUMMIT clinic test center. With the creation of a COVID-free-zone, all restrictions inside the festival will be lifted so guests can not only feel safe, they can also fully enjoy the festival as they have in years past.” Essentially, what this means is that all festival attendees are required to either be fully vaccinated, have recently recovered for COVID-19 or have received a negative test result within the last 72 hours. The onsite COVID tests are also being offered free of charge.

The festival offers two other stages as well this year, the Forest Stage debuted in 2020 and all new for this year is Signal Stage. Both are again accessed by ski gondolas, up in the mountains of the resort, but they are a little bit more intimate than the big room feeling of Modernity.

The Forest Stage has been constructed within an old intermediate cable car station. The DJ stage is in the center of this round cabin and guests can enjoy views of the forest while enjoying the music of the international lineup of DJs throughout the weekend. The Signal Stage is located just steps from the Forest Stage and offers yet another intimate experience where you feel as if you are in a friend’s barn, but an international DJ just happens to be spinning his new tracks.

When I spoke with Caprices Founder, Maxime Léonard, he was optimistic about how the festival continues to grow and adapt. He said, “The festival has always known a constant evolution, in terms of infrastructure, line up, and image. We have always sought to adapt to new trends and offer concepts ahead of our time. At the beginning, the festival mainly booked groups like Deep Purple, Iggy Pop, Bjork, Portishead, Cypress Hill and many other live acts. However, we made the radical decision six years ago to focus only on electronic music. This was seen as a risk initially, but it is that spirit of constant adventure that keeps things new and exciting.”

Headlining acts this year include Solomun, Apollonia, Hot Since 82 and many others. During the first weekend there was a duet set that Founder, Maxime Léonard was particularly excited about. “We were happy to have the chance to bring together Luciano and Ricardo Villalobos who delivered an exceptional duet set. These two artists have been involved with the electronic music side of the festival since our start 18 years ago and seeing them play together is so meaningful for us. But overall, we have an impressive lineup and I know our guests are in for the time of their lives.”