Café-théâtre de La Tour de Rive and other venues La Neuveville
Old-timey sounds will be resonating from pianos in cosy cafes in La Neuveville. For a whole weekend this spring, the Swiss town La Neuveville in Canton Bern hosts the International Boogie Woogie Festival (Festival de Boogie Woogie La Neuveville).
Enjoy high-level cuisine and live music in La Neuveville
Boogie Woogie Festival takes place in coordination with various restaurants and cafes in the town of La Neuveville, so it's a great way to spend a weekend, as you immerse yourself in the exciting music while sampling some local cuisine. There's even a brunch concert combination ticket, as you'll see below.
Boogie-woogie is a very specific kind of blues music often associated with the piano. It started developing between the 1870s and 1920s in African American communities in the USA. With the rise of broadcasting, it became very popular in the late 1920s.
The musical components of the boogie-woogie style come together to give a well-defined and easily recognisable structure, and the genre has a mass appeal. Over the years, it influenced other musical styles like rhythm and blues, rock and roll and rockabilly.
A weekend of boogie-woogie piano playing in Switzerland
A bunch of talented blues pianists take to the stage, tinkering away on those black and white keys in rhythms that will make you want to get up and dance.
Boogie-woogie Show
Friday, March 21, 2025 at 8pm
The Friday night Boogie-woogie Show is the main show of the weekend. This big show takes place at the Café-théâtre de La Tour de Rive featuring four pianists performing solo, duo, trio and quartet productions on two pianos!
Boogie-woogie Tour
Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 7pm
At four different locations in the village, four pianists will each play a series of 30-minute sessions. Then the audience can change locations as they wish, and perhaps enjoy some food and drinks while waiting for the next session to start.
Boogie-woogie tour locations
Here are the venues where the boogie-woogie tour is taking place:
Cave de Berne
Café-théâtre de La Tour de Rive
Mille-Or
Ancien théâtre du Faucon
Boogie-woogie Brunch
Sunday, March 23, 2025 at 11am
All the artists will meet on Sunday morning at the Café-théâtre de La Tour de Rive and will host the brunch (served by the illustrious pastry chef Conrad). Other surprise artists will join the pianists!
Boogie Woogie Festival performing artists
Here are the four piano players at the 2025 Boogie Woogie Festival:
Nirek Mokar (France)
Jan Luley (Germany)
Hamp Goes Wild (Switzerland)
Christoph Steinbach (Austria)
Joining them are Xavier Nikqi on double bass, Claude Braud and Sax Gordon on saxophone, Stan Noubard Pacha on electric guitar and Pascal Mucci on drums.
Plan your visit to La Neuveville
While in La Neuveville, why not do some sightseeing? La Neuveville is noted for its historical sites of national significance - The Blanche Église Réformée (White Church), the Cour Gléresse (also called the Hof Ligerz), the Fontaines Des Bannerets, the city walls, the Hôtel de Ville (town hall), the Maison de Berne and the Maison des Dragons.
In fact, the entire old town of La Neuveville is listed on the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites. So, plan your trip and enjoy the combination of music, food and history! It's easy to get there by driving from Bern or by using public transportation.
There's also a VIP package available. This consists of a VIP table for 4 people, tickets to the Friday evening Boogie Show with tasting platter and MAULER bottle. This costs 500 Swiss francs.