Every autumn, Neuchâtel transforms. For three days, the town centre closes to traffic, the streets fill with music, confetti and the scents of local produce, and several hundred thousand visitors converge on the shores of the lake to celebrate the largest popular festival in western Switzerland. The Fête des Vendanges de Neuchâtel returns in 2026 for its 99th edition, from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September, and it promises, as it does every year, to be unforgettable.
If you’re planning to attend, one thing is certain: it pays to organise yourself early, because this is the busiest weekend of the year in Neuchâtel. And to experience the festival without constraints, Hôtel Beaulac, set right on the lakeshore and just steps from the heart of the festivities, is the ideal address. Book your stay for the Fête des Vendanges 2026 now at beaulac.ch: rooms for this weekend go quickly.
What exactly is the Fête des Vendanges?
Before it was a festival, the Fête des Vendanges was a celebration. Originally, as its name suggests, it marked the end of the grape harvest in the Neuchâtel vineyard, that moment when the winemakers brought in their crop and paraded with their carts laden with the tools of the vine. Over the decades, this tradition grew into one of the largest popular events in Switzerland, today drawing hundreds of thousands of people each autumn.
In 2026, the festival celebrates its 99th edition, a figure that alone speaks to how deeply rooted this event is in Neuchâtel culture. For three days, on the last weekend of September, the entire centre of Neuchâtel comes alive to the rhythm of the festival: more than three hundred stalls run by local clubs and traders, a winemakers’ village devoted to regional produce, a large funfair, concerts and, of course, the parades that have made the event famous.
What makes the Fête des Vendanges so special is its atmosphere. It isn’t a sanitised event or a commercial festival. It’s a genuinely popular celebration, where generations mingle, where the people of Neuchâtel come out in force, where you encounter costumed groups on every corner, and where the local wine, the famous Œil-de-Perdrix and the Chasselas whites, flows in a thoroughly good-natured mood. And all of it in an exceptional setting, between the old town, the quays and the lake.
The Fête des Vendanges 2026 programme
The Fête des Vendanges 2026 runs from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September, building in intensity across the three days. Here are the main highlights not to miss.
Friday evening opens the festival with the great night parade of the Guggenmusik bands. These costumed brass ensembles, arriving from all over Switzerland, take over the streets in a flood of brass and colour. It’s a spectacular, gloriously noisy opening, in the finest tradition of the Swiss carnival. The stalls stay open into the small hours (the festival runs until 4am on Friday and Saturday).
Saturday is the day for families. In the afternoon, the children’s parade winds through the town centre: costumed, joyful and full of colour, the youngest take possession of the festival. The day and evening then continue with concerts, stalls, the funfair and the non-stop presence of the Guggenmusik bands across the town.
Sunday afternoon is the absolute highlight: the Grand Corso Fleuri, the great flower parade. This majestic procession, the direct heir to the old parade of harvest carts, features floats entirely decorated with fresh flowers, set to the rhythm of brass bands and punctuated by humorous groups. It’s the most eagerly awaited moment of the festival, the one that draws the biggest crowd. Grandstand seating for the Grand Corso Fleuri on Sunday 27 September 2026 is sold through a dedicated ticketing service, already open on the official website fete-des-vendanges.ch.
Beyond the parades, several highlights punctuate the weekend. The confetti battle turns the streets into a good-natured battlefield, an essential tradition that young and old adore. The pyromusical fireworks display, set off by the lakeside, blends music and light into a spectacle that reflects across the entire surface of the water (the exact time is announced on the official website as the festival approaches). The winemakers’ village lets you taste the wines and regional produce of Neuchâtel in a convivial atmosphere. And the Torrée géante, in its 6th edition in 2026, offers a traditional meal centred on the famous sausage cooked under the embers (booking via the online ticketing service is recommended).
The detailed hour-by-hour programme, along with the list of concerts and entertainment, is published on the official Fête des Vendanges website as the event approaches. I’d recommend checking it a few weeks beforehand to plan your weekend.
Practical info: wristband, transport and getting there
A few pieces of information are essential to enjoy the Fête des Vendanges 2026 with peace of mind.
First key point: payment at the stalls is made solely with the FDV wristband. Cash and cards are not accepted at the stalls (with the exception of the funfair operators). These wristbands can be bought before the festival at the counters of the public transport operator transN, or during the festival at numerous sales points. The “Soutien” (supporter) wristband also offers worthwhile perks, including free public transport across several zones and a standing place at Sunday’s Grand Corso Fleuri.
Second point: come by public transport. During the three days of the festival, Neuchâtel’s town centre is completely closed to car traffic. Neuchâtel station is served by direct trains from Bern, Lausanne, Biel and Yverdon, and lies just a few minutes’ walk from the heart of the festival. If you do come by car, opt for the car parks on the outskirts and complete the journey by public transport or on foot. The timetables for the special trains and mobility information are published on the festival’s website and on that of Neuchâtel Tourism (neuchateltourisme.ch).
Third point: the opening hours. The festival is open on Friday from 6pm to 4am, on Saturday from 11am to 4am, and on Sunday from 11am to midnight. Plenty of time to enjoy the atmosphere of this extraordinary event fully, at your own pace.
Where to stay during the Fête des Vendanges: Hôtel Beaulac, at the heart of the festival
It’s probably the most practical and also the most strategic question: where to stay to experience the Fête des Vendanges without constraints? The answer comes down to a few words: as close as possible to the centre, by the lake, so you don’t have to drive or catch a late train after the fireworks and the parades.
Hôtel Beaulac ticks every box. Set right on Lake Neuchâtel and just a few minutes’ walk from the heart of the festivities, it lets you head back to rest whenever you wish, without depending on transport timetables. After a day of festival, returning to a quiet room with a lake view, then setting off the next morning fresh and rested for the Grand Corso Fleuri, is a luxury few options can offer over this weekend.
The hotel also has its restaurant, Le Lake Side, and the Waves rooftop, both perfect for a quiet dinner or a last drink with a view before diving back into the buzz. And on Sunday, after the parade, a leisurely brunch facing the lake is the best way to round off the weekend before heading home.
One final, important piece of advice: book early. The Fête des Vendanges is the most in-demand weekend of the year in Neuchâtel, and the central hotels are often full months in advance. If you’re thinking of coming, don’t leave it too late.
Conlusion
The Fête des Vendanges 2026 will be a fine vintage: three days of festivities, spectacular parades, fireworks over the lake, the Neuchâtel terroir in the spotlight and that unique atmosphere that brings visitors back year after year. For the 99th edition, from 25 to 27 September, Neuchâtel awaits you.
To make the most of it, treat yourself to the comfort of staying at the heart of the event. Book your room at Hôtel Beaulac at beaulac.ch before the last availability is gone. The lake, the festival and the best location in Neuchâtel are waiting.
