The 2027 Federal Folk Music Festival will take place from September 9 to 12, 2027 in Altstätten in the St.Gallen Rhine Valley. The Rhine Valley is located in the four-country corner of Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein and directly adjacent to Lake Constance and Appenzellerland.

The center of the Federal Folk Music Festival is located in the historic old town of Altstätten SG and on selected squares, school grounds and halls all around. Various stages, tents, cozy squares and gastronomy zones invite you to linger. A detailed site plan will follow at a later date.

The festival focuses on the diversity of Swiss folk music.

• Concerts and performances from all national and linguistic regions of Switzerland
• Competitions, encounters but also spontaneous gatherings
• Promotion of young talent and musical tradition with workshops, festive compositions and joint music-making
• Traditional folk music and new folk music have equal place
• Integration of influences and cross-border accents from the four-country region
• International folk music from other, mainly European, countries is occasionally integrated into the festival

The Federal Folk Music Festival offers an extensive supporting program:

• Pre-events with parade participation and musical performances
• Stubeten and spontaneous music-making opportunities throughout the town
• Buuremaart, which is integrated into the festival
• Regional market with products from Eastern Switzerland
• Folk culture market with crafts, traditional costumes, music and tradition
• Focus on the topic of wine
• Further focal points are being planned - in cooperation with institutions and partners, with a special focus on family offers

The Swiss Folk Music Association (VSV) is the licensing body for the festival. A local, independently operating organizing committee (OC), made up of experienced people from the entire Rhine Valley region, is responsible for the implementation and organization on site. The organization is semi-professional: On the one hand, proven specialists are involved, while on the other hand, part-time workers and a large number of volunteers are also involved.

Interested clubs and individuals are cordially invited to support the festival. The OC operates with a single fund and plans to compensate the helpers. The amount will depend on the success of the festival. The administration of the helper system will be handled via the helfereinsatz.ch platform and will be activated in due course.

Interested clubs and individuals who would like to help are of course welcome to contact the office now at info@altstaetten27.ch.

Active musicians have many opportunities to participate:

• Evaluated presentations in the official competition
• Concerts on stages, in restaurants and marquees
• Free music-making (Stubeten, spontaneous performances) throughout the festival grounds

All active participants receive a festival ticket with inclusive services depending on the form of participation. The announcement for active participation is made around one year before the festival via the official channels of the festival and also via the Swiss Folk Music Association (VSV) and the cantonal sections.

Important: Membership of the Swiss Folk Music Association (VSV) is of course desirable and strengthens folk music as a whole, but is not a prerequisite for participation. Any active folk musician may take part in the EVMF. Also suitable formations from abroad.

• Public transport: Altstätten is easily accessible by train and bus. The Appenzell Railway station (Gaiserbähnli) is right in the middle of the festival center. The SBB train station is also within walking distance, although additional shuttle buses will be provided between the SBB train station and the festival center during the festival.
• Car: Visitor parking spaces are located outside the center on the outskirts of the village on the Allmend, shuttle buses run to the festival grounds.
• Bicycles & e-bikes: There are numerous existing parking spaces for bicycles in the schools and public facilities around the old town.

Various types of accommodation are available for guests and active guests:

• Camping area: A large camping area with showers and WC facilities will be set up on the Allmend on the outskirts of the village. The offer is aimed at guests with cars and tents, cars with caravans, campervans and motorhomes.
• Mass accommodation: Simple and inexpensive places to sleep are offered in civil defense facilities and gymnasiums in the immediate vicinity of Altstätt's old town. The festival site is within walking distance.
• Hotels and innsIn Altstätten itself, capacities are limited. Most of the accommodation is required by the OC for various groups of guests. There are further possibilities in the following regions:
  • St.Gallen Rhine Valley around Altstätten
  • Appenzellerland
  • Lake Constance shore
  • Werdenberg - Sarganserland
  • Toggenburg
  • City of St. Gallen

Important: A comprehensive public transport service will ensure that even slightly more distant accommodation is optimally connected to the festival. Nearby Vorarlberg in Austria and Liechtenstein is served by normal public transport, but not by additional connections organized by the OC.  

Details of all accommodation options with booking possibilities will be published on the website in a few months' time.

The center of the festival with many concerts and program items is freely accessible. Admission is charged for certain events, tents, lectures and concerts in halls. Details on admission will follow in due course.

Interested companies, institutions or private individuals are cordially invited to support the festival. There are suitable vehicles for national brands as well as regional SMEs and private sponsors to participate in the festival.

Information on sponsorship and partnership opportunities can be requested at info@altstaetten27.ch.

The festival focuses on a diverse, regionally anchored offering - similar to the tried-and-tested concept of the Yodelling Festival 2025:

• Rhine Valley and Eastern Switzerland specialties & traditional Swiss cuisine
• Modern street food zones also with international specialties
• Cozy festival tents, OK-Beizli and cozy gastronomy zones under trees and parasols in cooperation with regional associations
• Existing "Städtli" gastronomy in the restaurants and garden pubs in the old town
• Special offers also for families and children

The OC runs the OK-Beizli and festival tents together with regional associations. There will also be various markets and street food areas.

Important: No tents, pubs or areas for bars will be rented to third parties. The specific concept for the Städtli catering will be announced later. It will be based on the concept for the Yodelling Festival 2025.

Please submit applications for the markets and the street food areas by e-mail to info@altstaetten27.ch, stating the range, electricity requirements, size and ideally also impressions of past appearances.

The OC attaches great importance to early and transparent information:

• Information events are held.
• Information letters provide information about the process, the program and contact options.
• Around six months before the festival, a dedicated platform will be launched at www.altstaetten27.ch, where plans, times and restrictions can be viewed.

The aim is to involve the population as well as local businesses and restaurants in the best possible way and to keep the impact as low as possible. The measures are carried out in close consultation with the Altstätten Town Chancellery

All news, detailed plans and programs are published on this website on an ongoing basis. We also provide information via newsletters and social media.

If you need to know something that is not covered here in the FAQs, please contact us directly at info@altstaetten27.ch or via the contact form on this website.