News Release

March 1, 2024 — VERBIER (Switzerland) — Ticket sales to the 2024 summer edition of UNLTD — the Verbier Festival’s creative laboratory — are now open to the public. On the programme from July 18 to August 4 in Verbier: more than 50 concerts, kids events, inspiring talks and nature-discovery activities to quench cultural appetites across generations.

Following its 2023 edition, the most vibrant since its creation in 2018, UNLTD has firmly established itself as a ‘festival within the Verbier Festival’, attracting a multi-generational audience that breathes new life into the annual classical music event. More than 7,000 spectators, from toddlers to grandparents, attended UNLTD events in summer 2023.

“Our goal is to celebrate music of all kinds while complementing the extraordinary offer of the Verbier Festival each summer,” says UNLTD Director and Director of the Verbier Festival Academy, Stephen McHolm. “There’s a great synergy between Verbier’s youthful energy and that of UNLTD — together we’re making classical cool!”

2023 highlights

This ‘cool vibe’ was perhaps best experienced in the UNLTD Concert Club at Verbier’s Taratata restaurant last summer, where intimate cabaret performances of classical, electronic, jazz and experimental music were presented late-night to a sold-out room throughout the Festival.

The inaugural UNLTD hoplà open-air concert on the mountain meadow of La Chaux was also a highlight, attracting an audience of more than 1,000 spectators of all ages for a free afternoon of music high above Verbier, where Vivaldi’s Four Seasons were presented on equal footing to singer-songwriter and funk acts.

2024 edition

UNLTD returns this summer with its Concert Club, hoplà afternoon, popular music and nature discovery workshops and hikes for both children and adults activities, as well as a its ideaLAB series of interviews and talks that this year will feature two panel discussions, one on music’s power to heal and another on how performers, athletes and everyday people can excel under pressure. Buskers will again fill the streets of Verbier with music each weekend.

What’s new?

projector: a wide shot of the new wave on the music scene

To accommodate its growing concert audience, the new ‘Projector’ series at the Verbier Cinema, shines a spotlight on innovative artists that take audiences on a musical journey from George Gershwin’s famous Rhapsody in Blue to a mash-up of John Cage and David Bowie, to the tropical sounds of Cuba and Brazil.

nuit coucou: yodel-ay-ee-oooo!

UNLTD celebrates Swiss National Day with a programme of free all-ages performances. Audiences will experience storytelling at sunset with Compagnie Zappar’s captivating Le Peuple Lumière, a breathtaking lantern procession, and music that will keep them dancing into the wee hours.

sunset sonore: classical x electronic bliss at dusk

UNLTD will conclude it programming on August 4 with a second free open-air event, this time on the  on the greens of the Verbier Golf Club, This event, called ‘sunset sonore’, takes listeners on meditative sound healing journey with crystal bowls followed by a performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variations that eventually evolves into an organic tribal house dj set with live strings. French electronic music duo, Lost Heritage, continue the chill vibe until sundown.

tickets

In line with UNLTD’s goal to provide affordable access to music to audiences of all ages, almost half of the 2024 programme’s events are free to the public. Ticket prices for the remainder of events range from CHF 10 to 55 with discounts for ticketbuyers under age 30 and children under 16. Tickets are available online at unltd.ch or by phone at the Verbier Festival Ticket Office at +41 (0)848 771 882.

programme

about unltd

UNLTD (pronounced ‘Unlimited’) is a creative laboratory that amplifies music across genres — sparking curiosity and connecting generations.

Launched in 2018 as the third pillar of the Verbier Festival, UNLTD awakens curiosity for music across genres and generations. In parallel to the Festival’s Mainstage programme and in close collaboration with the Verbier Festival Academy, UNLTD offers a new and informal approach that enriches the festival going experience. Throughout the year and during the summer, when it is described as ‘the festival within the festival’, UNLTD presents a programme of music discovery through imaginative concerts, workshops, talks, and immersive experiences that transcend musical boundaries.

Goals

• UNLTD offers a diverse range of activities and events for all ages and musical preferences, from experimental to playful.
• As a creative laboratory, UNLTD explores new formats, fosters innovation, and promotes music sharing, especially in classical music.
• With events held in various venues, UNLTD showcases the beauty of Verbier and its surroundings, establishing itself as a vital cultural presence in the community.
• UNLTD provides a casual way to experience the Verbier Festival, with a program that complements the Mainstage performances and encourages attendees to explore other concert venues.
• Serving as a platform for talented Verbier Festival Academy alumni, UNLTD presents groundbreaking projects in Verbier and beyond, showcasing the next generation of musical visionaries.

Audience Profile: Age

Attracting a younger public than that for Verbier Festival Mainstage programming, UNLTD is renewing audiences and breathing new life into the Verbier Festival.

• 57% of audience between ages of 18 and 55 in 2023
• Largest audience segment : ages 36 to 55 (36%)