In January 2025 it will be that time of year again: the world’s best showjumpers will be competing in Basel, Switzerland’s beautiful city on the Rhine. They and their equally famous horses will face the challenges of the world class indoor Grand Prix event LONGINES CSI BASEL. The event combines consummate riding skill with thrilling action, and needless to say is eagerly anticipated by spectators, the media and sponsors alike.

Incredible sums of prize money will be awarded to the winners of the individual competitions – a total of 17 including the amateur classes. And that’s not all: nine of the eleven international competitions count towards world rankings, three of them with double points.

A special treat for show jumping enthusiasts will be the LONGINES GRAND PRIX, for which 46 entries have been received. This competition offers the highest prize money of the event, attracting entries from successful olympians and world, european & swiss champions.

SIHH steps up the pace for its 35th edition, with six prestigious names making their entrance: Hermès and at the Carré des Horlogers, Armin Strom, Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud, DeWitt, élégante by F.P. Journe and Romain Gauthier. This brings the total number of exhibitors to 35, with 18 Historic Maisons and 17 brands in the Carré des Horlogers.

Professionals, journalists, collectors and watch enthusiasts will travel from all four corners of the globe to be in Geneva for this standout event in Fine Watchmaking.

After two years of digital fairs – and several sold-out physical fairs in China – Watches & Wonders is finally happening in Geneva. First announced for 2020 as the successor to the long-running SIHH, which for two decades was the luxury-watch fair in Geneva, Watches & Wonders (W&W) 2022 will take place from March 30 to April 5 at Palexpo, with 39 brands in attendance.

All of the major names that spurred the demise of Baselworld will exhibit at W&W 2022, namely Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard and Tudor.

They’ll be joined by most of the brands owned by Richemont, the Swiss luxury group that was historically the anchor of SIHH, the event that preceded W&W. Amongst the Richemont brands are A. Lange & Söhne, Cartier, IWC, and Vacheron Constantin.

Another luxury group represented at the fair is LVMH, which has all three of its watch brands – Hublot, TAG Heuer, and Zenith – taking part. Bulgari, however, is notably absent, perhaps because there are already two Richemont-owned jewellers present.

Art Basel brings the international artworld together, with the world's leading galleries showing the works of over 4,000 artists. A full program of artworld talks takes place each day. Exhibitions and events are also offered by cultural institutions in Basel and the surrounding area, creating an exciting, region-wide art week.

THE GSTAAD MENUHIN FESTIVAL & ACADEMY OVER THE YEARS

YEHUDI MENUHINS LOVE OF GSTAAD

In 1957 Yehudi Menuhin and his family moved to Gstaad where he was fascinated and inspired by the elemental power of the region’s natural environment and commanding mountains. He was impressed not only by the Saanenland’s magnificent alpine arena, but also by the meeting of Western Switzerland, German-speaking culture, and the nearby South with its Italian lifestyle. Since Gstaad and its surrounding area also offered an ideal environment for an international education for his children (among others, the «Le Rosey» Institute and the International Kennedy School are based in the Saanenland), Menuhin settled with his family in the area. Walking in the mountains with his children, the city-dweller discovered the natural world of the native population, who were also to inspire Menuhin with their folklore and music.

Looking forward to the future and celebrating its first seven decades not so much as an achievement in itself but as a starting point, the Festival will be emerging from a process of deep renewal, extending its scope and expanding its infrastructures as it morphs into what can only be described as a City of the Audiovisual. While the open-air theatre in Piazza Grande will continue to be at the heart of the Festival, the event’s geography will embrace several new features: from the inauguration of the Palazzo del Cinema – bringing three state-of-the-art movie theatres with it – to the re-opening of the historic Ex Rex, fully refurbished and now renamed GranRex as it returns to its former splendour. #Locarno75 also aims to address new audience segments through three distinct initiatives: #movieofmylife, PardoKids and the Youth Advisory Board. 

Music that sounds like its composers imagined it. Musicians who dedicate themselves to their craft with devotion and passion. Audiences who immerse themselves in a world of sound far removed from the stress of daily life. LUCERNE FESTIVAL is what makes all this possible – and it has been doing so for more than 75 years.

Famous orchestras, legendary conductors, and virtuoso soloists join together three times a year on the idyllic location of Lake Lucerne to celebrate the joy of music. In the concert hall designed by Jean Nouvel, which is renowned for its phenomenal acoustics and its exquisite architecture alike, they encounter an audience that is no less international and sophisticated. Some 110,000 visitors annually make the trip to Lucerne to experience one of the most exquisite and storied music festivals and to hear the international stars of classical music right in the heart of Switzerland.

The Swiss Indoors is a professional men's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. Originally an event of the Grand Prix tennis circuit between 1970 and 1989. It is currently part of the World Tour 500 Series of the ATP Tour. It is held annually at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, in October, since 1995.

The Basel Autumn Fair (Basler Herbstmesse) starts at 12 o’clock on the Saturday before October 30th, every year, and is on for about two weeks. The first Basel Herbstmesse took place way back in 1471! Lots has changed since then, and this year there is even a mobile phone app (search your app store for Basler Herbstmesse). The app contains maps and information about each of the different exhibition grounds (see below). Download it and use it to find your way to your favorite food, ride or game!