Every July, a ski resort known for its steep off-piste turns into one of Europe's great classical gatherings. Founded in 1994 by a Swedish impresario, the Verbier Festival pairs star soloists with young musicians – and leaves the high trails to Mont Fort open for the mornings.
In this story · 4 sections
Verbier lies on a south-facing terrace at around 1,500 metres in the Val de Bagnes, looking across at the Grand Combin. In winter it is one of the world's most celebrated off-piste resorts. In summer, for 17 days, it becomes a concert town. The Verbier Festival draws around 35,000 visitors a year, and its line-ups read like a roll call of the modern classical stage. For more Alpine towns, see our Alps destinations.
Verbier
Festival · Val de Bagnes
A resort on a south-facing terrace at around 1,500 metres, home of the Verbier Festival since 1994.
01A festival with a Swedish founder
The festival was begun in 1994 by Martin T:son Engström, a Swedish musician and concert organiser. His aim was to bring established artists and young talent together in one mountain village. Since 2005 the festival has been a foundation, supported by the local municipality – Val de Bagnes since 2021 – the Loterie Romande, the canton of Valais and the Sandoz family foundation.
Over the years the programme has featured Martha Argerich, Evgeny Kissin, Yuja Wang, Daniil Trifonov, Hilary Hahn, Leonidas Kavakos, András Schiff, Bryn Terfel, Mischa Maisky, and Gautier and Renaud Capuçon, among many others. Programmes change every year, so check the festival's own schedule for who is playing.
02The academy and the orchestras
What sets Verbier apart is its teaching. The Verbier Festival Academy pairs renowned teachers with young musicians, and the festival runs three orchestras: the Verbier Festival Orchestra, the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra and the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra. The best performance from the academy each year wins the Prix Yves Paternot, named after a founding member of the Friends of the Verbier Festival.
03Fest'Off: the free festival
Alongside the main concerts, the Fest'Off programme – now called UNLTD – puts on free concerts and street performances around the village every day of the festival, including jazz and themed walks in the surrounding countryside. It is the easiest way to sample the festival without a ticket.
04Mornings on the mountain
Verbier's lift system climbs to Mont Fort at 3,330 metres, with a panorama that takes in the Matterhorn, the Dom, the Dent Blanche, the Grand Combin and the Mont Blanc massif. In the same ski area rises the Bec des Rosses, the steep face that hosts the finals of the Freeride World Tour each winter. The village itself is small enough to explore on foot.
Getting there is straightforward without a car: Swiss Federal Railways to Martigny, the regional Saint-Bernard Express to Le Châble, then the cable car or post bus up to Verbier. Geneva is about two hours by road. For more summer reading, browse Metro Mode Travel and our destination guides. Chamonix is an hour away over the Col de la Forclaz, and VERA PI follows its property market.
