Individual notes become harmony.
Shaping the celebration together
The 2027 Swiss Folk Music Festival thrives on everyone who gets involved. Musicians, associations, market traders, and many helping hands behind the scenes. You are warmly invited to be part of it.
Here you can find out how to become part of EVMF:
Registration for Musicians
As musicians and as groups, there are various ways to participate in the festival:
All active participants will receive a festival pass that includes attractive benefits. Additional services such as overnight stays, breakfast, or tickets for the gala evening can be booked. Furthermore, the Oskar vacation pass can be booked in advance to access free and discounted recreational activities throughout Eastern Switzerland.
Membership in the Swiss Folk Music Association (VSV) is encouraged and supports folk music as a whole. However, it is not a prerequisite for participation. Any folk musician is welcome to perform at the Swiss Federal Folk Music Festival. Suitable ensembles from abroad are also welcome.
Register now as a musician or ensemble!
Registration for markets
and street food
The festival tents will be operated by the organizing committee in collaboration with regional clubs. In addition, there will be various markets and street food areas.
No tents, small restaurants, or spaces for bars will be rented out to third parties. A detailed concept for the festival’s food and beverage offerings will be announced at a later date. It will be based on the concept for the 2025 Yodeling Festival.
Please submit applications for the markets and street food areas using the registration form. Include details about your offerings, power requirements, the size of your booth, and, if possible, photos from previous events.
The following participation options are available to you:
Street food stalls
Friday, September 10: 2:00 p.m. – midnight / 3:00 a.m.
Saturday, September 11: 10:00 a.m. – midnight / 3:00 a.m.
Sunday, September 12: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Culinary and Craft MarketSaturday, September 11: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 12: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Folk Culture MarketFriday, September 10: 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 11: 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 12: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Registration for the parade
These special features await you and your group:
The grand parade on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. is one of the festival’s major highlights. Show yourselves to the audience one last time—on foot or on lovingly decorated floats.
Relaxed and safe at the festival
We recommend traveling by public transport. Services will be increased during the festival, including at night. Altstätten is easily accessible by SBB, Appenzeller Bahn, and bus. From Altstätten SBB train station, you can reach the festival village in around 10 minutes on foot. There is also a shuttle service between Altstätten SBB train station, the festival village, and the Allmend on the outskirts of town.
An insider tip is to take the Appenzeller Bahn train through the Appenzellerland and Gais directly to the festival village.
The central, monitored parking area for participants, visitors, and volunteers is located on the Allmend at Oberrieterstrasse 44 on the outskirts of Altstätten. Parking costs CHF 10.00 per car, including shuttle bus service. The Allmend is accessible throughout the weekend until late at night via shuttle bus and night buses. There are no parking spaces in the center of Altstätten. The large parking lot serves as a logistics area and is closed during the festival weekend.
Parking spaces for bicycles and e-bikes are available in school grounds and public facilities around the old town.
Arrive and stay
To ensure you can relax and enjoy the festival, there are various accommodation options available. For guests and active participants alike, there are simple, practical, and comfortable options.
An extensive public transport network will ensure that even more distant accommodations are optimally connected to the festival. The nearby regions of Vorarlberg in Austria and Liechtenstein can be reached by regular public transport, but not by additional services provided by the organizing committee.
Details of all accommodation options with booking facilities will be published here in a few months.
A spacious, supervised campsite with showers and toilet facilities is being built on the common land on the outskirts of the village. The site is aimed at guests with cars and tents, cars with caravans, campervans, and motorhomes.
Simple and inexpensive sleeping accommodations are available in civil defense facilities and gymnasiums in the immediate vicinity of Old Town. The festival grounds are within walking distance.
Capacity is limited in Altstätten itself. Most accommodation is required by the organizing committee for various guest groups. Further options are available in the following regions:
