Live from Biel: SRG Broadcasts the Swiss National Music Festival 2026 as Main Media Partner Across Switzerland

The Swiss National Music Festival is a gathering point for wind music fans of all generations from across Switzerland. In 2026, the event will take place for the 35th time, with Biel hosting the music competition for the third time. During Ascension weekend 2026, approximately 550 bands and 25,000 musicians will compete in five strength categories, showcasing performances of mandatory pieces and pieces of their choice on 15 stages. An important component of the music festival is the parade music, presented on two marching music routes. These marching music routes will be accompanied by SRG and broadcasted as a livestream on Play RTR. A highlight in the parade music segment will be the show performances of the Papal Swiss Guard Band.

SRG Reporting Live from Biel

As the main media partner, SRG will broadcast the Swiss National Music Festival 2026 live and report on all of their channels about the music competitions. Throughout the festival, SRG will have its own radio and television studio on-site, providing the audience with an insight into the festival operations. In SRG's digital on-demand offering, over 30 hours of live broadcasts of various wind music performances will be shown. The SRG program also includes four hosted live broadcasts. From the heart of the music festival, two multilingual radio and television shows will be broadcasted each. The festival will be documented in audio and video recordings by SRG, and the Swiss National Music Festival will be shared across Switzerland through their social media channels.

Commitment to Music Across Language Borders

With its engagement at the Swiss National Music Festival in Biel, SRG provides a platform for Swiss music talents of all ages and strengthens the interregional cohesion. Furthermore, such a project is entirely focused on increased, also substantive collaboration across public service regions. For instance, a national radio program is planned on Saturday from 11:00 to 12:30, to be broadcasted on SRG's radio stations in all four language regions. Additionally, SRG will stream the parade music competitions live for the entire duration of the Swiss National Music Festival - more than 30 hours will be broadcasted on digital platforms. All regional units of SRG will accompany the music festival as well as participating formations in live broadcasts and special programs. Specifically, SRF Musikwelle will start reporting in a special week from May 10, with daily coverage of the Swiss National Music Festival. From Wednesday, May 13, to Sunday, May 17, live broadcasts from the festival will be added each day. RSI and RTS will also broadcast live from the Swiss National Music Festival on Ascension Friday. Already ahead of the event, on May 9, RTS Première aired 'Le Kiosque à Musiques' from Biel, where various representatives of the Swiss National Music Festival were guests. RTR will stream the parade music as a livestream and cover the festival in its shows 'Cuntrasts' and 'Artg musical' on radio and television. Cee-Roo, an audiovisual artist and musician from Biel, will bring an original dimension to 'Bella Musica'. On Thursday and Friday, he will travel through Biel with an SRG eTuktuk, inviting festival visitors to try different wind instruments. These interactions, filmed and recorded, will lead to a hybrid video capsule that combines documentation and music.

On May 23, during prime time (18:10 to 19:10), the national TV program 'Bella Musica' about the Swiss National Music Festival will be aired. It will recall the highlights of Ascension weekend in all four language regions and present them to a wide audience in the first program.

Press contact:
Media Office SRG SSR
Nik Leuenberger
media(at)srgssr.ch
Tel. 058 136 21 21

Editor's note: Image rights belong to the respective publisher. Image rights: SRG SSR