Update: Want to see how the largest Swiss cities will celebrate New Year's Eve in 2023 / 24? Check out our guide.
As 2022 comes to an end and 2023 looms large, cities in Switzerland will be celebrating the new year by putting on events and festivals. Now, with COVID restrictions long gone, here is how the five largest Swiss cities plan to celebrate New Year's Eve and day in 2022 / 23.
In 2022, Zurich will be celebrating New Year's Eve with large street parties and events across the city. From sundown on December 31 to the early hours of January 1, bars and restaurants will be packed full of revellers eating and drinking to their heart's content. The streets are also expected to be full of families and partygoers hoping to catch a glimpse of the fireworks.
In terms of official events, festivities will start at 11.40pm when the church bells of the city will ring out for 18 minutes. After midnight, at 12.19am, lights across the city will be switched off before the highlight of the night begins: a giant fireworks display over Lake Zurich. Be sure to head to the promenade, Uetliberg or Bürkliplatz before 12.20am to get the best view.
A number of private parties are also planned for after the fireworks. Local public transport providers will be running night trains and buses throughout the morning of New Year's Day, with normal service resuming at 4am.
While many choose to celebrate privately with family and friends, Geneva is expected to welcome the new year with a huge party. From 8pm to 3am, the famous Mont-Blanc bridge will be converted into a massive concert venue with karaoke, large screens, bars, food trucks and live performances by local artists. What’s more, authorities have confirmed that the festival will be completely free to enter!
At midnight, people’s attention will turn to the traditional fireworks display. Organised by the Fairmont Hotel, organisers have promised a night to remember after two years of COVID restrictions.
In 2022, the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Basel are set to be a lot more subdued. Unfortunately, due to a lack of sponsors, the fireworks display on the River Rhine has been cancelled for 2022.
Instead, people in the city will be able to celebrate at the Basel Cathedral, with enchanting music from the Basel City Choir from 11.30pm and a church service at 12.15am. Elsewhere, Theatre Basel, Palazzo Colombino and Cirque Noël de Bâle all have special events taking place on New Year's Eve.
On December 31, 2022, the city of Lausanne is set to be transformed, with events planned across the capital of Canton Vaud. Alongside the many nightclub, theatre, opera and social events, the Place Centrale will also host the famous “Giant Silent Disco” as part of Bô Noël. Between 8pm and 2am, revellers will be able to party the night away without making a sound.
A more luxurious way to ring in the new year is on CGN’s New Year’s Eve cruise. For "just" 249 Swiss francs per person, you can sample champagne, wine and a six-course dinner while cruising on Lake Geneva. The boat ride will also include live music, ending at 1am.
Finally, the de-facto capital of Switzerland, Bern, is set to welcome 2023 with the traditional gathering in Münsterplatz. After midnight, people in the square clink as many glasses as possible to toast the new year, ideally with some fireworks too.
Elsewhere, on the local mountain, Gurten, a large New Year’s Eve party is planned. The event, hosted by a local radio station, is a great way to welcome in the new year.