Miscellaneous The parade of the Federal Music Festival has begun
Musicians from all over Switzerland have traveled to Biel, including members of the Davod Klosters (GR) music society.
Image: Keystone
The Haegendorf-Rickenbach Music Society marches through the city of Biel.
Image: Keystone
Musicians from all over Switzerland have traveled to Biel, including members of the Davod Klosters (GR) music society.
Image: Keystone
The Haegendorf-Rickenbach Music Society marches through the city of Biel.
Image: Keystone
Despite the feared rain, the parade of the Federal Music Festival in Biel has begun. The parade music competition lasted until the early evening and will continue on Friday.
14.05.2026, 16:24
SDA
The first parade formations marched through the town at around 12.30 pm. The organizers had only decided to hold the parade about an hour earlier. Although it drizzled from time to time, the sun also made an appearance in Biel during the afternoon.
"If it only drizzles a little, that's fine. But if it rains heavily, the parade will be canceled," Théo Martin, the festival's communications manager, told the Keystone-SDA news agency in the morning. Wind instruments such as clarinets, saxophones and oboes in particular would not cope well with the rainfall.
A new image of folk music
Jean-Marc Richard, a member of the organizing committee, said on the news programme "12h30" on French-speaking Swiss television RTS that the event allowed "the power and energy of wind instruments to be shown". Sometimes a negative image of this folk music dominates.
532 music societies from all over Switzerland with a total of 25,063 participants will be competing against each other in various categories from Thursday to Sunday. The event usually takes place every five years and attracts many spectators.
The 35th Swiss Federal Music Festival was originally due to take place in Interlaken in 2021, but fell victim to the coronavirus pandemic. Interlaken threw in the towel for the 2026 edition for financial reasons. Biel then stepped into the breach.
