Heat forces yodelers at annual Swiss festival to sing in fountains
[June 30, 2026]
By JEZ FIELDER
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — City fountains became impromptu rehearsal
spaces this weekend as yodelers at a festival in Basel, Switzerland,
squeezed in last-minute practice while cooling off during Europe’s June
heat wave.
At one fountain, a folk band dipped their toes in the water on Saturday,
as festivalgoers clapped along or cooled their hands under the flowing
stream.
From Friday to Sunday, singers and alphorn players filled the streets
and spontaneous bursts of yodeling echoed through restaurants, where
diners initially reacted with surprise before joining in.
In Petersplatz, in central Basel, seamstresses remained on call
throughout the festival to repair the traditional Alpine folk costumes
worn by participants in case of emergency.
This year, however, it was the fountain rehearsals that became the
festival’s defining image, as the city battled record temperatures of
around 39 Celsius (102 Fahrenheit).
Around 12,000 performers and nearly 200,000 visitors traveled to Basel
for the Eidgenössisches Jodlerfest, Switzerland’s national yodeling
festival. It was the first time the northwestern Swiss city hosted the
event since 1924.
Swiss yodeling was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2025, making this
the first national festival since the tradition received international
recognition. It is a distinction many Swiss take great pride in.
Unlike the brighter, more melodic style often associated with Austria
and the Tyrol region, Swiss yodeling is slower and more melancholic — an
emotionally nuanced tradition rooted in distinct regional dialects.
"I’ve always loved music, and I left here as a child. When I moved back
to New Zealand, I wanted to stay connected to Swiss culture, so I joined
a New Zealand-Swiss-Kiwi yodeling club,” said Freddie Conquer, a member
of Jodlerclub Echo Basel, one of the clubs hosting the festival.
The participants competed in three disciplines: yodeling, alphorn
playing and flag-throwing.
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A group of Alpine Horn players stand at the Peters square in Basel,
Switzerland, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Jez Fielder)
 The alphorn is a long wooden
instrument traditionally used by herdsmen in the Alps. It can
stretch to more than 3 meters (10 feet) in length, with its sound
carrying across valleys — or, during the festival, through Basel’s
streets. It produces all of its pitches using natural harmonics
alone, with no valves or keys.
“Everything is down to the mouthpiece, hearing the note in your
head, and then using your lips to shape the pitch. The higher the
note, the harder you have to blow,” said Pierre-André Karlen, who
was rehearsing on a school lawn.
On Sunday morning, participants gathered outside the town hall,
eagerly awaiting the competition results. Members of Jodlerklub
Balfrin, from the town of Visp in the canton of Valais, were
nervously examining the lists and later celebrated loudly after
receiving a perfect score of one, one of several such teams.
As flags were carried through the old town during the festival’s
closing parade, members of Jodlerklub Muttenz rode past on a tractor
to cheers from the crowd. Alphorn players followed — their
instruments and costumes almost certainly a burden in the heavy
heat, but the smiles remained.
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