Event highlights for 2023

Longines CHI Classics Basel (12 to 15 January 2023)

CSI Basel is now called Longines CHI Classics Basel. In addition to the best show jumpers, this world-class riding tournament now also includes a dressage event.

Basel Museums Night (20 January 2023)

The museums and cultural institutions will open their doors at an unusual time and offer their guests the opportunity to wander through their collections from 6.00 pm to 2.00 am.

Wayne Thiebaud (29 January to 21 May 2023)

The acclaimed American artist Wayne Thiebaud (1920–2021) originally started out as a graphic designer and briefly worked for Walt Disney Studios’ animation department. The exhibition at the Fondation Beyeler will show the many aspects of Thiebaud’s work: next to still lifes it will also feature portraits as well as multiperspectival cityscapes and landscapes, with which he redefined this seemingly old-established art historical genre.

Basler Fasnacht (27 February to 1 March 2023)

Basel’s famous Carnival will take place with the Morgenstreich, the cortège, (i.e. the big procession), the lantern exhibition on Münsterplatz, the Kids’ Carnival, Guggenmusik and Schnitzelbängg.

Shirley Jaffe (25 March to 30 July 2023)

Shirley Jaffe (1923–2016) came to Paris from the USA in 1949 and was inspired by Abstract Expressionism. The Kunstmuseum Basel Collection has recently acquired a significant group of works from Shirley Jaffe’s oeuvre. One further reason for rediscovering her evocative painting and for celebrating this revelation by staging this exceptional and wide-ranging special exhibition. The exhibition was realized in close collaboration with the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Musée Matisse in Nice.

Garden Futures (25 March to 1 October 2023)

In recent years, the garden has received increased attention – not as a romantic hideaway, but as a space in which to create a better future. This is evidenced in urban farms, vertical gardens, or artworks. Starting from this perspective, the Vitra Design Museum dedicates a major exhibition to the garden in the context of urbanism, design, and architecture. 

Young Stage Basel (11 to 15 May 2023)

One of the world’s most important circus festivals, Young Stage provides young professional artists with a platform to showcase their talent and to compete with others.

Fantasy Basel (18 to 20 May 2023)

For three whole days, creative-minded people can let their fantasy run wild and meet others who share their fascination with science fiction, cinema, game design and fantasy in an area of over 60,000 m2.

Doris Salcedo (21 May to 17 September 2023)

Next summer, the Fondation Beyeler will devote a large solo exhibition to internationally acclaimed Colombian artist Doris Salcedo (*1958), featuring key works from the different phases of her career. It will be Salcedo’s first museum exhibition in Switzerland. In her objects, sculptures and site-specific interventions, she explores the ever-repeating cycle of violence, outrage, grief, remembrance and oblivion. Salcedo ranks among the most important artists of our time.

Out of the Box (10 June to 19 November 2023)

Schaulager is proud to present a major group exhibition this year and has good reason to celebrate: Schaulager is turning 20 years young! Most of the works on display were acquired in recent years for the collection of the Emanuel Hoffmann Foundation. The focus of the exhibition is time-based media.

Art Basel (15 to 18 June 2023)

The Art Basel, exhibiting art of the 20th and 21st centuries, is indisputably the world’s leading fair in the international art market. Over 250 selected galleries from around the world present modern and contemporary works of high quality, making the fair the most important temporary museum.

Basel Tattoo (14 to 22 July 2023)

Against the historical backdrop of Kaserne Basel, the Basel Tattoo – the world’s second-largest tattoo – is held each summer. The line-up features the traditional Massed Pipes and Drums, with around 200 pipers and drummers, as well as musicians from New Zealand, Mexico, the Middle East and Switzerland.

Floss Festival (8 to 26 August 2023)

The free summer event brings a Mediterranean festival mood to Basel. Performing on a floating stage on the Rhine with a sail-shaped canopy, insider tips and well-known bands from Switzerland and abroad will delight up to 50,000 visitors.

Matisse, Derain and Friends (2 September 2023 to 21 January 2024)

At the outset of the twentieth century, a loosely affiliated group of artists centring around Henri Matisse, André Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck conducted revolutionary experiments in colour. This comprehensive special exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Basel shows the Fauves’ outstanding experimentation with colour. Conventional perceptions as to the style of this movement, which left such an indelible stamp on modernism, are also called into question. 

Der Ring – Ein Festival (from 9 September 2023)

Richard Wagner’s monumental opera cycle “The Ring of the Nibelung” remains one of the most important and controversial works in music history: Sixteen hours spread across four evenings – composed over more than a quarter of a century – recount the downfall of gods, the fateful demise of the hero and the utopia of love. “The Ring” is returning to Theater Basel after more than 40 years. In the autumns of 2023 and 2024, the four premieres of “Das Rheingold”, “Die Walküre”, “Siegfried” and “Götterdämmerung” will be accompanied by yet more premieres, talks, late-night formats and events that individually focus and reflect upon the diverse thematic complexes of “The Ring”, culminating in a festival lasting several weeks. 

Baloise Session (19 October to 9 November 2023)

Since 1986, the Baloise Session has showcased some of the most famous artists from the international music scene. The festival takes place in small locations with an intimate nightclub atmosphere.

Swiss Indoors Basel (21 to 29 October 2023)

One of the world’s most important indoor tennis tournaments, Swiss Indoors Basel is undoubtedly the most significant tennis event in the Swiss sporting calendar.

Basel Autumn Fair (28 October to 12 November 2023)

The Basel Autumn Fair is a unique experience for young and old alike. The many rides, the culinary variety and colourful market on Petersplatz have something to offer each and every visitor. 

Basel Christmas market (23 November to 23 December 2023)

The Basel Christmas market at Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz is considered to be one of the prettiest and largest in Switzerland. In the middle of the city centre, nestled in the historic Old Town, traders and artisans offer their goods for sale in small, rustic wooden chalets.