Basel Sings Again: The European Youth Choir Festival Returns in 2025

If you thought that May was just about Eurovision, think again! This year, from May 28 to June 1, Basel welcomes the European Youth Choir Festival (EJCF)—with over a thousand young voices transforming our city into one big, beautiful concert hall. Here’s your guide to the 14th edition of this much-loved Basel festival.

Basel Comes Alive with Harmony

The EJCF isn’t just for choir aficionados, it’s a city-wide celebration of music, youth, culture and community. It brings together 19 top-tier children’s and youth choirs from Switzerland, across Europe, and as far afield as Cameroon.

For five days, these talented young singers turn Basel into one giant concert hall, with performances happening everywhere from majestic churches to boats on the Rhine and leafy neighbourhood parks.

And the music? Think Nordic folk, Balkan rhythms, African harmonies and maybe even a bit of Swiss yodelling—a global playlist with no borders. And best of all, most performances are free or low-cost—so the whole city gets to sing along.

What’s in Store for 2025

With over 50 concerts happening across the city, there’s something for everyone. You’ll hear songs from Norway to Portugal, Hungary to Cameroon—each choir bringing its own flavour, language and musical heritage.

Here are some highlights to watch out for:

Opening Concert: A massive, high-energy kickoff on May 28, featuring all 19 choirs performing together at St. Jakobshalle.

Choir Boat “Rhystärn”: Floating concerts on the Rhine, bringing music to the water (and delighting ferry passengers in the process).

The Sing Garden: Casual, family-friendly performances at Schützenmattpark where even toddlers can clap and sing along.

Open-Air Concerts: Experience world-class youth choirs in the heart of the city’s historic quarter, with four open air stages at Barfüsserplatz, Theaterplatz, in the courtyard of the Musik-Akademie and in the Rathaushof.
Country Focus Sessions: Get a taste of Turkey, the Czech Republic and Romania through music, tradition and a warm cultural welcome.

Not Just for Audiences—You Can Sing Too

One of the festival’s best traditions is the “Sing Along!” events. These informal gatherings invite everyone to join in. No experience required. No judging. Just pure vocal joy.

For the musically inclined, there are also workshops for choir directors, educators and students, where you can pick up new skills and connect with international peers.

Planning Your Visit

Most performances are free or affordable, and Basel’s excellent public transport makes hopping between venues a breeze.

Here’s what you’ll want to do:

Explore the full program on the official EJCF website
Book tickets early—gala concerts especially sell out fast!
Bring the kids—many events are family-friendly
Wear comfy shoes—for walking, clapping, and dancing between venues
Prepare for spontaneous goosebumps!

There are only a handful of tickets left for the 'Fulminantes Chorspektakel' Opening Concert on Wednesday May 28, at the Jakobshalle.

Tickets are still available for the Gala Dinner with Music on Friday May 30, on the Rhystärn, which includes an aperitif, 3-course menu, performance and the boat trip. Delighting diners this year will be the 'Men’s voices of the Lucerne Boys Choir' with their new program ‘Blick in d’Wält’.

Official advance ticket sales for all festival concerts starts on April 5. You can purchase tickets via Ticketcorner or if you prefer getting your tickets in person then head to Bider and Tanner (Aeschenvorstadt 2, 4010 Basel). You can also purchase tickets on Bider and Tanner's online shop.

A Final Chord

Basel is full of festivals—but this one hits different. Maybe it’s the energy of youth, maybe it’s the magic of hearing 100 voices rise in harmony in a medieval church, or maybe it’s just the way the whole city seems to smile a little wider during those five days.

Whatever the reason, the European Youth Choir Festival is a reminder of what community can sound like. And in Basel, that sound is something special.

You can find the full program here: www.ejcf.ch

Alison Waterfield

Alison is a Brit who has been in the Basel area for over a decade. She currently resides in Oberwil, where she enjoys having countryside on her doorstep as well as town being only a short tram ride away. She loves cooking, baking and anything food-related and is a beginner food stylist and photographer. She enjoys being in nature and relaxing doing anything wellness-related, as well as engaging in creative activities such as abstract and fluid art and crochet.