Buskers Bern 2021 cancelled

“gang a d’Aare” (enjoy the river Aare)

Dear visitors, dear volunteers, dear supporters
Dear partners, dear media representatives
Dear Buskers aficionados and aficionadas

Normally, we would present some program highlights for BB21 and the new visual here.
Normally, we would already be under a lot of stress and would definitely confirm the last acts, book flights and trains, write band texts, reserve the last sound materials, check construction sites in the old town, produce new bar deco, revise info stands, finalise hotel bookings, update master and power plans, order T‑shirts and festival ribbons, place catering stands and revel in anticipation.

Normally, normally, normally – if the virus and its mutated mates didn’t have such a grip on us.

The planning uncertainty is currently so great at all levels, the variables so numerous and the perspectives so unclear to gloomy, that we see no other option than to cancel the large festival BB21 with up to 60,000 visitors and 150 artists from all over the world. It is difficult for us and we are heart broken, as we had hoped until the very end that we would be able to stage the festival with a concept that was more or less in line with Corona, despite a delay of several months in the planning.

As we all know, a festival is an all-round experience. Buskers Bern thrives on the live moment, the atmosphere in the public space, the personal encounters, the real gastronomic and visual delights, the low threshold, the immediacy, the discoveries of professional, local and international art.
Buskers Bern is actually the complete antithesis of Corona. Serious protection concepts with audience restrictions, compulsory seating or contact tracing are simply not possible and are incompatible with a Buskers festival.

We can no longer put off the participants and keep them on standby. All our approximately 30 freelancers in the OC, the 150 artists, the 60 catering stands and the countless partner companies and organizations need clarity. Our wonderful, irreplaceable about 300 volunteers, who make a significant contribution to the festival, also need to know. Unfortunately, we have to put them and all visitors off until 2022.

At the beginning of the year we were quite confident, as the signs were quite different. Now, almost daily, new findings or ambiguities as well as sinister mutants emerge.

We are putting all our heart and soul into Buskers Bern from 11 – 13 August 2022.

Thank you for your understanding, your support and your loyalty.
Until then, we wish you many wonderful moments – summer is coming and our river Aare is calling!

In this sense: Stay safe & healthy, happy & beautiful!
Sincerely
Your Buskers Bern Team
Contact: Christine Wyss, Festival Director, info@buskersbern.ch, +41 78 804 43 13