As the weather warms up, Switzerland is heading into five months of photo festivals in various locations across the country. You might be wondering, why would I want to attend a photo festival?
Whether you’re a new photographer or a seasoned professional, there’s many benefits from attending a photo festival. There’s endless opportunities which range from meeting other photographers, gaining valuable tips on cameras or a portfolio review to learning new techniques.
No matter where you’re located here’s five must-see photo festivals in Switzerland with something for every photography lover.
PhotoGenève Festival
Held over one weekend, PhotoGenève aims to put the canton of Geneva on the map when it comes to photography. The festival will feature exhibitions, competitions, portfolio reviews and free round table sessions.
No matter what your level of expertise or photographic style, PhotoGenève embraces all and wants to share the rich photographic culture in the region.
You can become a member of PhotoGenève, which gives you some great discounts, such as a 10 Swiss franc reduction for a portfolio reading during the festival.
More information: https://photogeneve.ch/
Biel/Bienne Festival of Photography
In it’s 27th year the Biel/Bienne Festival of Photography is one of the longest running photo festivals in Switzerland. Every May the bilingual French/German town comes alive with over 20 exhibitions at 11 venues. Highlights include guided tours, discussions, concerts and workshops. The theme for this year’s festival is Commonplaces. With all venues within walking distance, this is a great opportunity to take a day trip or a weekend away to explore all that’s on offer. Tickets start from 15 Swiss francs.
More information: https://bielerfototage.ch/en/
Fotofestival Lenzburg
Started in 2018, Fotofestival Lenzburg is an up-and-coming festival of photography that takes place annually in Lenzburg in the heart of Switzerland. Every year Fotofestival Lenzburg transforms the town into a photo lovers paradise, displaying work in shop windows, on street walls and six dedicated spaces. The festival theme for 2024 is Synthesis and the festival will include photobook discussions, photo days and an open call exhibition.
More information: https://www.fotofestivallenzburg.ch/
Photo Basel
Photo Basel is different to the other festivals because it’s an art fair. It’s a place where galleries from around the globe come to meet collectors and buyers. Held under the larger fair of Art Basel, Photo Basel sprang to prominence with the surge of photography sales in the art market. Photo Basel has positioned itself as the Switzerland’s only international art fair dedicated to photo-based art.
If you’re a photographer, it’s a great opportunity to meet gallery owners and get a sneak peek into the world of art. It’s also great to go as a window shopping spectator, to see what the current photo art trends are.
A day ticket is 20.80 Swiss francs.
More information: https://www.photo-basel.com/
Images Vevey, 7 – 29 September 2024
After a well-deserved summer break, it’s time to get your walking shoes on and hit the streets of the Swiss Riviera to see Images Vevey. Since 2008, the biennial festival has become one of the most significant festivals of contemporary photography in Switzerland.
Every two years, artists and visitors flock to Vevey to see stunning outdoor projections and exhibitions in parks and public spaces, as well as numerous exhibition spaces. On for three weeks, Images Vevey will feature more than 50 projects based about this year’s topic – (dis)connected. The 2024 Images Vevey theme focuses on nostalgia and questions on the future of digital photography and AI, making for some interesting discussion and projects.
More information: https://www.images.ch/en/
