Carnival in Bern
The kick-off to Bern’s carnival is at 11:11 a.m. on 11 November, when the city's carnival bear is locked up in the Käfigturm (Prison Tower) to hibernate – an event that is properly celebrated with the traditional “Gugge Party”.
Wearing a badge is a matter of honour: this year’s carnival badges can also be purchased in our web-shop or at the Tourist Information at Bern railway station.
But the real party takes place on the Thursday after Ash Wednesday (in 2025, this will be on 6 March), when the symbolic bear is awakened and released from its Käfigturm hibernation, and carnival – also called the “fifth season” – begins. First lively highlights include food, drink and music on Münsterplatz and the Guggenmusik bands in Rathausgasse.
This carnival, some 20 restaurants and vaulted cellars are opening their doors to the crowds and offering a diverse and exciting programme. There are performances by a variety of ensembles, and you’ll hear a lot of saxophones which are characteristic of the “Bärner Fasnacht”.
The first Schnitzelbank soirée at 8:20 p.m. on Thursday is always worth a visit. It is held at six different traditional restaurants. Schnitzelbänke are entertaining satirical or humorous verses that are usually recited in rhyme form and talk about current events, public personalities and social issues. Trump, Putin, or Swiss Federal Councillor Viola Amherd – who will be ridiculed? And which world events will we hear about the most?
Continue the evening at one (or both) of the stages in the city that are already open on Thursday evening, the Narrentempel (Temple of Fools) on Kornhausplatz or the stage on Schmiedenplatz. There will be music and partying from 9 p.m. until after midnight.
The official programme continues on Friday afternoon with a children's parade. It starts at 2:30 in the lower part of Zeughausgasse and goes all the way to Münsterplatz by way of Rathausgasse and Kreuzgasse.
The stages will come alive on Friday, too, with the different Guggenmusik bands playing on now five stages throughout Bern's old town. At 7:30 p.m., the ensembles Taktsurfer (on Schmiedenplatz) and Pulswärmer (in Gerechtigkeitsgasse) will be starting off the evening's festivities, which one again will last until well into the night.
The grand finale of the three days of carnival is the Grosser Umzug (grand parade) which takes place on Saturday afternoon. The different cliques meet at Nydeggbrücke at 2:30 p.m. to march through Gerechtigkeitsgasse, Kramgasse and Marktgasse to Bundesplatz for the traditional Monsterkonzert (monsters’ concert), where various Guggenmusik bands perform under the leadership of three majors.
If you haven't partied enough by this point, head out on Saturday evening – costumed or not – to dive head-first into the last night of Bern’s vibrant carnival.
