Zermatt Unplugged: Comeback in April 2022

After its successful summer edition in July 2021, the Zermatt Unplugged Festival returns with a full-size edition in 2022. Over 100 concerts on 18 stages at various indoor and outdoor venues located at the foot of the Matterhorn are planned. Visitors can once again experience great musicians in intimate settings, discovery acts with huge potential and hip DJs.

A special honor for Zermatt Unplugged: following the cancellation of her 2022 tour, the German pop-legend Nena has decided to perform in Zermatt – experiencing the power of Nena in this exclusive acoustic concert setting will be an incredibly emotional event for fans and non-fans alike. The exceptional British artist Ellie Goulding is also back, treating us to unplugged versions of hits like “Burn” and “Love Me like You Do”. And rock enthusiast and Zermatt-Unplugged fan Rea Garvey returns to Valais for the third time now – this time with songs of longing, love and freedom from his album “Hy Brasil” in his backpack.

It has long been known that Thom Yorke is a dab hand at creating significant works without the help of Radiohead – most recently in 2019 with “Anima”, the soundtrack to the Netflix production of the same name. He will honor the Zermatt Unplugged Festival with a highly exclusive solo show.

Also taking part are Sam Ryder, who in 2020 went from being a completely unknown up-and-coming musician to a social media phenomenon in just a few months, and whose 16 million followers include none other than Elton John, Justin Bieber and Alicia Keys. Subtle, sensitive and approachable – these qualities also make singer-songwriter and soul virtuoso Jake Isaac a fitting candidate for the Unplugged Festival. And Swiss musician Marius Bear brings sunshine, good vibes and positive energy to Zermatt. He celebrates the start of the festival season with a special concert: Marius and band invite string and horn players to the stage.

If you want to hear Luke Sital-Singh and his melancholic-lyrical folk-pop, jump on the funicular railway and head to the “Sunnegga Sessions” with its private concert atmosphere at 2288 meters above sea level. This is also the place to take in the playfully poetic lyrics of Annakin and her vocal, cello and guitar trio, as well as Swedish-born Sophie Zelmani (“Memory Loves You”, “The Ocean and Me”) and her quiet country-pop musings.

“At Home With…”

Artist Heinz Julen’s stylish loft becomes the residence of musicians who invite guests for an evening “at their place”. Here, visitors get to meet, among others, Nick Mulvey with his finely woven messages of hope, the American indie folk musician Old Sea Brigade, and the young German musician Lina Maly, who went from unknown to shooting star in 2016 with "Schön genug".

In the Vernissage with the Unplugged Pass

The Unplugged Pass for CHF 60.- gives visitors access to all Unplugged Pass stages, to the “Taste Village”, to the after-show parties and to the club stage, the “Vernissage” where Black Sea Dahu puts on one of only three release shows across Switzerland for their album “I am My Mother” – unfathomable, mysterious and beautiful, the young talent James Smith (erstwhile Britain's Got Talent contestant) performs his eagerly awaited debut album, Alex Diehl plays his hymns to life, the Dutch band Haevn performs wonderful songs with minimal instrumentation, and the Canadian indie folk band The Franklin Electric radiates its extraordinary energy with acoustic guitar and fiddle.

The Unplugged Pass also allows access to the “Blues Club” at the Hotel Alex. Following the massive success of the first edition, Philipp Fankhauser slips once again into the role of host.

Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club with Christian Jott Jenny (municipal president with a tremendous voice)

For the five days of the April festival, the dignified atmosphere of London's legendary Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club will be transferred as a true-to-the-original pop-up at Zermatt's Hotel Mont Cervin Palace. The legendary house band Ronnie Scott's All Stars will perform there with Christian Jott Jenny, entertainer, founder of the Festival da Jazz and municipal president of St. Moritz. Guests enjoy an exquisite three-course dinner during the jazz sessions.

Creating a new world of music with new and existing partners

With Swisscom as a new Main Partner as well as NZZ and Swisscom blue as new Media Partners, Zermatt Unplugged is committed to building something unique and breaking new ground with innovation and courage. Consequently, the festival will become part of a new music world that Swisscom is building around the most popular festivals in Switzerland. In the future, the Unplugged experience will be available on Swisscom blue TV. Thanks to the new media partnership with NZZ, the festival can further strengthen its appeal and connect with a culturally interested audience. The two long-standing Main Partners Raiffeisen and BKW, as well as the Co-Partners Groupe Mutuel, Volvo Car Switzerland, Michel Reybier Hospitality and Schweizer Fleisch as Presenting Partners of the Taste Village are also back on board.

The director of Zermatt Unplugged, Rolf Furrer, commented on the current situation: “Thankful and excited, that sums up the entire team’s current emotional state pretty much perfectly. The last two years have shown with impressive clarity how essential concerts and live experiences really are. What is truly beautiful is that several artists who we were looking forward to hosting in 2020 will join us this time round. We really hope that despite the continuing pandemic situation we can celebrate a festival full of special encounters next spring.”

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